Rocky Mountain Water Quality Analysts Association Newsletterhttp://www.rmwqaa.org/
Rocky Mountain Water Quality Analysts Association blog postsRocky Mountain Water Quality Analysts AssociationWild Apricot - membership management software and moreenSat, 06 Jun 2020 20:51:21 GMTSat, 06 Jun 2020 20:51:21 GMTFri, 29 May 2020 01:52:57 GMTPublic Works Week<p>In celebration of National Public Works Week which ran from May 17th through the 23rd, the City of Broomfield created this awesome video to celebrate the workers that are keeping the city running. See how many RMWQAA members you can count!</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Documents/Certification%20Exam/2020%20NPWW%20Video.mp4" target="_blank">2020 NPWW Video.mp4</a><br></p>
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<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF" face="Arial, sans-serif">Lesa Julian has worked for the City and County of Broomfield for 29 years.&nbsp; She is currently the Environmental Services Superintendent.</font></p>
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http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8999630Natalie LoveFri, 01 May 2020 02:59:47 GMTBlog in the Time of Corona, and more potential benefits of wastewater<p>Hi! We hope this finds you and yours safe and healthy during this time!</p>
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<p>In this era of COVID, most drinking water professionals, wastewater professionals, and those that work in labs and other professions that provide assistance to maintain critical infrastructure have been classified as “necessary”, and most are required to go in to work, even if it is on a modified schedule. This requirement exposes many to vectors that those that are working from home are not exposed to. Most are not ‘on the front lines’, but their services keep permit requirements intact, water quality high, &nbsp;&nbsp;and reassure the public that a new public health crisis does not evolve from failing water treatment. Remember, through all of the craziness your contribution matters, and we appreciate all that you do!</p>
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<p>One positive thing about coronavirus; it does not ‘survive’ water treatment. There have been no cases of coronavirus in drinking water. Likewise, standard wastewater disinfection also renders coronavirus incapable of transmitting disease. Just imagine how much worse everything would be if this was not the case!</p>
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<p>However, coronavirus is known to be present in wastewater. This can cause extra concern for wastewater operators, lab analysts, and others exposed to raw wastewater. Whether or not the coronavirus in wastewater can cause disease is still an open question that needs more study. Some studies show that coronavirus can survive for several days in wastewater, while other testing has shown that coronavirus is inactivated by going through a human gut. In any case, the good news is that no known case of COVID 19 is known to have been transmitted via wastewater. The CDC calls wastewater ‘low risk’ for COVID 19. The CDC, OSHA, and WEF all agree that the normal engineered and administrative measures, PPE, and hygiene measures protect wastewater workers sufficiently from COVID 19. While the risk is low, wastewater workers must exercise extra diligence at work, even while already taking added measures like wearing masks and social distancing. Additionally, WRRFs are not assured of being able to get sufficient PPE because of the higher world demand.</p>
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<p>While we hope that wastewater does not have extra risks for workers, the coronavirus in wastewater has the possibility of becoming an important weapon in the fight against COVID 19. Because coronavirus is excreted in the feces and urine of affected persons, coronavirus in a sewer can be an early warning of COVID 19, and can be representative of the spread in the sewershed. It can also give important and timely information to public health decision-makers. This is known as Water Based Epidemiology (WBE), or Environmental Surveillance (ES). This is a developing field related to COVID 19 and has several hurdles before becoming relevant, but it is looking hopeful.</p>
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<p>Researchers in The Netherlands are credited for being first to test wastewater for coronavirus. They found coronavirus in wastewater even before the first reported COVID infection in the sewershed. Thus, they established that coronavirus in the wastewater can be an early warning of COVID 19 in the population.</p>
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<p>There are also currently several efforts to analyze levels of coronavirus in wastewater, and then to correlate those levels to an estimated number of affected people in the service area. Wastewater is a different and more complex matrix that those normally used in virology labs and is analytically challenging. Additionally there is an unknown distribution of the viral pieces between liquid and solid in the wastewater. Known levels of quantification are not yet known, but would have to be low enough to be able to compensate for the dilution of the virus in the wastewater in order to be useful. Already a researcher at Arizona State University (ASU) claims to be able to detect one affected individual in a population of 2 million. Others estimate 1-3 cases per 100,000 people. Additional problems on the analytical side are getting representative samples, developing rigorous QA/QC protocols, unknown matrix effects, and unknown fate and transport of coronavirus.</p>
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<p>Once detected in wastewater, there are additional formidable challenges of correlating the level of coronavirus in the wastewater to the level of COVID infection in the population. This requires knowledge of the population, flow, temperature, time in the sewer, industrial/residential discharge ratios, the fecal shedding rate per person, and many other factors. It will apparently also require knowledge of the average size of human poop. (No need to set up a study for this though. A professor at MIT has already determined this. It is 200 grams.)</p>
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<p>Despite the challenges, the promise of WBE/ES - that wastewater could give us both an early warning of, and an accurate measure of COVID in the population – is enticing. It could detect COVID 19 in a population before there have been any confirmed cases. It could indicate when a second or third wave is beginning. It would be faster than individual testing. It would include asymptomatic carriers and would be more representative of the spread of the disease than the current biased numbers that are low since they are hindered by testing availability. It would be specific to each sewershed, so response measures could better meet specific needs. It could be scalable; from the entire service area of a large WRRF down to a sewer from a single neighborhood, school, or assisted living facility. Testing would be cheap, the sample abundantly available.</p>
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<p>The study of analytes in wastewater as they relate to current issues in the service population is not new. Illicit drugs, malaria, salmonella, other viruses, etc. have all been looked at in wastewater. Each case provides its own challenges, but they all confirm the interesting hidden value of wastewater, and its important relationship to its service area. And in this current crisis, it is another reminder of the important work that everyone in the water field does!</p>
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<p>Please find references below. I also used some information from the Closing Ceremony of the WRF Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of Indicators of COVID 19 in Sewersheds, April 30, 2020. Please let me know if you would like more information, or if you have an interesting addition!</p>
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<p><font color="#0000FF">Rich MacAlpine is a Laboratory Supervisor at Metro Wastewater Reclamation District.</font>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.google.com_amp_s_www.bostonherald.com_2020_04_09_massachusetts-2Dscientists-2Dprobe-2Dnations-2Dsewage-2Dfor-2Dcoronavirus-2Dclues_amp_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=jClxjLc1K27YDupjKFh0d_cTdqFsHFi3mbbp8WaCQ0Y&amp;s=PFEOoDNBjyQnifSzTJ7RJpNpiDJ3sjgVkjR_pSrlGME&amp;e="><br></a></p>
<p>References</p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.google.com_amp_s_www.bostonherald.com_2020_04_09_massachusetts-2Dscientists-2Dprobe-2Dnations-2Dsewage-2Dfor-2Dcoronavirus-2Dclues_amp_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=jClxjLc1K27YDupjKFh0d_cTdqFsHFi3mbbp8WaCQ0Y&amp;s=PFEOoDNBjyQnifSzTJ7RJpNpiDJ3sjgVkjR_pSrlGME&amp;e=">https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/09/massachusetts-scientists-probe-nations-sewage-for-coronavirus-clues/amp/</a></p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.medrxiv.org_content_10.1101_2020.03.29.20045880v1&amp;d=DwMCaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=AaTiRu-E1XU-snLUCDkV5mVYTJ0YL02Na52z1Sr4vyM&amp;s=3qa6K-qO59ajpsrmh13xaEmE5HV--1ULF5DxfG3373I&amp;e="><br></a></p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.medrxiv.org_content_10.1101_2020.03.29.20045880v1&amp;d=DwMCaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=AaTiRu-E1XU-snLUCDkV5mVYTJ0YL02Na52z1Sr4vyM&amp;s=3qa6K-qO59ajpsrmh13xaEmE5HV--1ULF5DxfG3373I&amp;e=">https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.29.20045880v1</a></p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wired.com_story_one-2Dway-2Dto-2Dpotentially-2Dtrack-2Dcovid-2D19-2Dsewage-2Dsurveillance_&amp;d=DwMCaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=xkVEoZo9AyBpzVg9elRnMPK-7oseoCP_R3j5i3YqTGY&amp;s=tAZ7ddSUztLmbBizOS51l51i-wa4yPc2H13D-zwR6EQ&amp;e="><br></a></p>
<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wired.com_story_one-2Dway-2Dto-2Dpotentially-2Dtrack-2Dcovid-2D19-2Dsewage-2Dsurveillance_&amp;d=DwMCaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=xkVEoZo9AyBpzVg9elRnMPK-7oseoCP_R3j5i3YqTGY&amp;s=tAZ7ddSUztLmbBizOS51l51i-wa4yPc2H13D-zwR6EQ&amp;e=">https://www.wired.com/story/one-way-to-potentially-track-covid-19-sewage-surveillance/</a></p><span style="background-color: white;"><font color="#333333" face="Helvetica, sans-serif">Arizona State University. "Novel coronavirus detected, monitored in wastewater." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 April 2020. &lt;</font></span><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.sciencedaily.com_releases&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=UOmDHJEbfjtQxAf3zugwPdZ7_CE38JyHYxVDIrORMQI&amp;m=62fZQVEllTRRbIwMr8U2wpaTVxjY_WxspZuMu87Ol18&amp;s=Fy84qqf7DUTm-ela43QSoIDtmjqqRHl2_WC2tVu8ghc&amp;e="><font style="font-size: 15px;" face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><font face="Helvetica, sans-serif">www.sciencedaily.com/releases</font></span></font></a>
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http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8938804Natalie LoveThu, 26 Mar 2020 03:02:17 GMTThe World of Wessex Water<p>A few weeks ago, I was finalizing details for an upcoming trip to Paris and Bath, UK when I received an email from Natalie reminding me that I was due for a Blog post for the<img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/pic-1%20-%20Copy.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="271" height="153" align="right" style="margin: 8px;"> RMWQAA website.&nbsp; It just so happened that I was simultaneously looking at a map of the small town of Saltford where the Airbnb I had booked for the trip was located. Less than a mile from the cottage was the Saltford Treatment Works.&nbsp; &nbsp;“Brilliant idea!” I thought to myself.&nbsp;&nbsp; I hoped I could pop over to the wastewater plant and see how the Brits are doing things.&nbsp; I did some searching online, found Wessex Water on Facebook, and sent a message.&nbsp; They were happy to arrange a tour of their facility for me.&nbsp; Splendid!</p>
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<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/march%202020%20pic%202.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="249.00000000000003" height="215" align="left" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 8px;">Wessex Water is a district that serves about 2.8 million people in the areas of Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Dorset and nearby areas.&nbsp; These cities are all in southwest England, west of London, and bordering Wales.&nbsp; Although Wessex runs like a district, it is owned by YTL Power International out of Malaysia.</p>
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<p>On the morning of my visit, I drove past the Avon River where Wessex Water discharges.&nbsp; Due to a storm named Henry, the river had recently topped its banks and flooded the road so I felt lucky to have a clear day for the Assistant Treatment Manager Julian Collins to show me around.</p>
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<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/march%202020%20pic%203.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="133.5" height="100" align="right" style="margin: 8px;"></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;"><font>Originally built in 1914, the Saltford Treatment Works originally had four (4) basins made of brick. T</font>hey are still in use today.&nbsp; &nbsp;Across the pond, they report in Liters per Second, which meant I had to do some conversions to figure out the facility’s current capacity.&nbsp; &nbsp;</font><em style="font-size: 10pt;">Side note:&nbsp; When looking for conversion calculators, I discovered there are American gallons and English gallons.</em>&nbsp; Plant capacity is between 11 and 13 MGD depending on which factors you use.&nbsp; &nbsp;
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<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/march%202020%20pic4.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="248" height="186" align="left" style="margin: 8px;">Much of the treatment is the same as in Colorado.&nbsp; The difference is they have combined sewer and storm systems.&nbsp; Large dedicated basins catch the overflow and provide containment during rain events.&nbsp; Their Environment Agency regulates the industry and has minimum and maximum “consents” comparable to permit limits of similar capacity facilities. &nbsp;</p>
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<p>Their <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-water-treatment-works-treatment-monitoring-and-compliance-limits">Guidance Document</a> details permit regulations.</p>
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<p>In contrast to the older, smaller Saltford plant is the Wessex Water Operations Center in Bath also within the Wessex District.&nbsp; The district runs all operations from their state-of-the-art green building, built using as much recycled material as possible.&nbsp; The building is equipped with solar power heating, rainwater collection and use, and eco-friendly everything!&nbsp; Security is top notch too. They even use fingerprint and retina scans.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Wessex Water’s sister company, <a href="http://www.geneco.uk.com/Sustainability/">Geneco</a>, operates multiple liquid waste treatment facilities that handle a variety of industrial and domestic wasteloads including dairy, septic, industrial cleaning products, landfill leachate, and food waste.&nbsp; All residents have a food<img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/march%202020%20pic6.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="117.25000000000001" height="65.75" align="right" style="margin: 8px;"> waste bin that is put out for regular collection along with the recycle and rubbish bins each week.&nbsp;&nbsp; Food waste goes to the main facility in Bristol for large scale composting.&nbsp; Sludge from the Saltford Treatment Works is also processed in Bristol for later biosolids application and generation of power from biogas.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>There’s much more to Wessex Water and all of their operations, but I will have to check out the rest on my next visit.&nbsp; In the meantime, it’s great to have new colleagues and contacts across the pond.&nbsp; Cheers!</p>
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<p><em><font style="font-size: 13px;">Map taken from WessexWater.org</font></em></p>
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<p><em><font color="#0000FF"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Michelle Neilson, Water Quality Technician, has been with Metro Wastewater for over 11 years.&nbsp; She has a B.S. in Chemistry, and has 22 years of experience in the Environmental field.&nbsp; Michelle has worked for USGS, contract laboratories, and several municipal wastewater and drinking water labs prior to Metro Wastewater.</font>&nbsp;</font></em></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8859469
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8859469Natalie LoveWed, 19 Feb 2020 04:46:20 GMTWorld Wetland Day<p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">The prominent days that we think of for the month of February are typically Valentine’s day and President’s day celebrated on February 14<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> respectively. However, there is another important day that is celebrated worldwide on February 2<sup>nd</sup>: World Wetlands day. &nbsp;World Wetlands day (WWD) raises global awareness about the value of wetlands and originated in 1971 when the Convention on Wetlands was formed in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.<sup>1</sup> The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.<sup>2</sup> The first celebration of WWD was in 1997 and continues to be celebrated today by government and community groups by promoting conservation, restoration, and the proper use of wetlands.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><font>According to the EPA, Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present<img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/turtle.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="267" height="178" align="right"> either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. <sup>3</sup> There are two general categories of wetlands, coastal or tidal and inland or non-tidal wetlands, which support various types of vegetation and both aquatic and terrestrial animal species largely determined by the hydrology of the habitat. The functionality of wetlands is also essential in an ecosystem by acting as a water filter, through the absorption of excess nutrients and other pollutants before they reach larger bodies of water, and providing flood and erosion control, by slowing and absorbing floodwaters during periods of excessive rain.<sup>4</sup> Additionally, wetlands are economically important due to recreational popularity and the commercial fish and shellfish industry. However, these vital habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate.</font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">Wetlands only account for 6% of the Earth’s land surface and are disappearing three times faster than forests due to factors such as development and climate change.<sup>5 &nbsp;</sup>This impacts 40% of the world’s plant and animal species that live or breed in wetland areas and threatens to deplete the rich biodiversity that these habitats provide.<sup>6</sup> Thankfully, governments and other organizations recognized the enormity of these impacts and have now increased efforts toward the conservation and restoration of wetlands. The general public is encouraged to get involved through volunteer monitoring programs, participating in restoration projects, providing support through donations, and to continue the education outreach of why wetlands are so essential to our environment.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/wetland.png" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="339"><br></font></p>
<p>References</p>
<p>1.) <a href="https://sws.org/Education-and-Outreach/world-wetlands-day.html">https://sws.org/Education-and-Outreach/world-wetlands-day.html</a></p>
<p>2.) <a href="https://www.ramsar.org/">https://www.ramsar.org/</a></p>
<p>3.) <a href="https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/what-wetland">https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/what-wetland</a></p>
<p>4.) <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wetland.html">https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wetland.html</a></p>
<p>5.) <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/wetlands-and-biodiversity-theme-world-wetlands-day-2020">https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/wetlands-and-biodiversity-theme-world-wetlands-day-2020</a></p>
<p>6.) <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2081">https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2081</a></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF">Ashley Romero is the Laboratory Manager at GEI Consultants, Inc. and has a background in ecotoxicology.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8755878
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8755878Natalie LoveWed, 29 Jan 2020 03:03:03 GMTHow to Replace a Bad Habit With a Good One<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Habits can have an enormous impact in the workplace—and we’re not just talking about nail-biting, junk food and cigarettes. Habits affect all aspects of a person’s behavior and they can influence how that person responds to the rules and regulations of a company, how they interact with their fellow employees and ultimately determine their performance level on the job.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For most people, their habits are so ingrained it’s like they’re operating on autopilot when the habit kicks in. This is true for both good and bad habits; good habits can make us more efficient, and bad ones can get in the way of reaching goals.&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Overcoming bad habits can be challenging, but being consciously aware of the change that needs to happen is the first step to establishing more effective habits.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">When creating new habits there are a few do’s and don’ts you should follow to make those habits stick. These same rules apply to replace a bad habit with a good one.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">First, you need to understand how habits work. Charles Duhigg, the author of <em>The Power of Habit</em>, presented a simple neurological loop at the core of every habit consisting of three components: cue, routine and reward. In order to more fully understand your habits, you need to break down your own habit loop.&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Start by asking yourself two questions: When does your bad habit happen? What is the cue (trigger) that sets it in motion?&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It’s important to identify the cue as the beginning of the routine. The reward that comes at the end is what prompts the routine to continue. Here are a few tips when trying to override a bad habit.</font></p>
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<li><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Change your cue.</strong> Without first identifying the trigger, it’s hard to make an adjustment when trying to change your habits. If you can control the cue it’s easier to maintain your commitment to change the habit. But you need to be aware of what triggers your habit. Once you’re able to consciously attribute the cue to the routine, you need to adjust that pattern to achieve a change in behavior. For example, if going to the cafeteria on break ultimately leads to you buying junk food, then you need to find a new location to have your break. The cafeteria is the cue that leads to the routine of buying the sweet reward of junk food. Because you want to change that pattern, a good start is to change the cue.&nbsp;<br>
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<li><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Make a substitution.</strong> Cutting out the cues isn’t always going to be an option when it comes to an emotional trigger like stress. If you try eliminating a bad habit based on willpower alone or by quitting cold turkey, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Once the cue is identified, substitute a good habit for your bad habit so that the trigger will inspire a new routine of actions with a similar reward.&nbsp; For example, often people go for smoke breaks at work to handle stress. <em>Cue: Stress. Routine: Go outside for a smoke. Reward: Relief from stress.</em> In order to change the bad habit to a good habit, when the stress trigger sets in, keep the habit of going outside the same but don’t go where the smokers are. Instead, take a walk. You’re still getting the break and taking time to calm down from the stress but you’re getting exercise instead of smoking. Often in this situation, the smoker finds it wasn’t really the cigarette that brought them relief after all but the break of being outside.&nbsp;<br>
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<li><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Be realistic.</strong> When making habits, one rule of advice is that you have to be prepared to fail. This is not to say that you should give up before you start, rather it indicates that it’s going to be hard so you should anticipate setbacks and not allow them to derail you completely. There are a lot of things that people tell themselves when it comes to habits. These excuses include thinking you need to start all over when you’ve had a slip up. Rather than give up when you slip up, just be sure to get back on track and move forward in a positive and healthy way. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should start small. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your habits aren’t going to become automatic immediately either.</font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="#373A3C" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Don’t forget, you don’t have to do it alone. Letting people know about your intentions of changing your bad habits will also invite those people to keep you accountable. And who knows, you may inspire them to make a positive change themselves.</font></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF">This Blog was originally posted by SafeStart and is re-posted here for educational purposes. Click here to link to the original blog post:&nbsp;<a href="https://safestart.com/news/how-to-replace-a-bad-habit-with-a-good-one/" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://safestart.com/news/how-to-replace-a-bad-habit-with-a-good-one/</a></font><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8699483
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8699483Natalie LoveSat, 21 Dec 2019 05:38:44 GMTAlgae and Wastewater<p>Wastewater is a valuable resource that can be reclaimed into many beneficial products. The mix of biological, chemical, and physical techniques used in this form of reclamation is forced to become more creative as discharge requirements become stricter. Nutrient requirements are a good example. As phosphorus and nitrogen limits drop for many wastewater treatment plants, we have to get creative to find new and cost effective ways to remove these analytes from our treated waters.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Algae is one solution to our nutrient woes that is getting attention from different utilities and research groups. Algal treatment can be applied to treat for ammonia, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (cBOD). Low operational costs paired with the added sales of harvested fertilizer makes this technology realistic for many utilities.</p>
<p><a href="https://algae.com/"><br></a></p>
<p><a href="https://algae.com/">Gross-Wen technologies</a> (GWT) has developed a revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system where algae grows on a treadmill-like belt that is suspended vertically above the wastewater. The belt rotates in and out of the wastewater allowing the algae to consume CO<sub>2</sub>, nitrogen, and phosphorus until it is harvested and used to make bioplastics and/or fertilizer.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Algae.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="364"><br></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 12px;">Fig. 1. Gross-Wen Algae Treatment Technology.</font></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Unlike most off the shelf organic brands of fertilizer, this algae fertilizer has slow-release properties that prevents nutrient leaching and polluting of our waterways.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>GWT installed a commercial pilot program at Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation District in Chicago, Illinois. During the three-year study, 64 tons of algae was produced per day and $30 million a year was made from selling the pelletized algae. Researchers at GWT project that a commercial-scale facility could process between 200,000 and 1 million gallons of wastewater per day.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.clearaswater.com/"><br></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.clearaswater.com/">CLEARAS</a> is another research company using algae to clean wastewater and harvest recycled algal biomass. Their technique is different than GWT in that it directly mixes the algae into the nutrient-rich wastewater. After the recovery of nutrients and CO<sub>2</sub>, the mixture is filtered apart, leaving a clean water stream and a return activated algal stream. Results of their nutrient reductions are shown in Figures 2 and 3.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/phosphorus.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="315"><br></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 12px;">Fig. 2. Total phosphorus results comparing influent and effluent. Data set includes 234 separate trials. Average incoming phosphorus = 1.91 mg/L. Average treated phosphorus = 0.02 mg/L.</font></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/ammonia.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="315"><br></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 12px;">Fig. 3. Ammonia results comparing influent and effluent. Data set includes 234 separate trials. Average incoming ammonia = 14.09 mg/L. Average treated ammonia = 0.49 mg/L.</font></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>CLEARAS claims that their system is zero-waste, incurs lower operation and maintenance costs due to the lack of chemicals used and disposed, produces ultra low-levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, biochemical oxygen demand, and total solids, and the ability to easily scale to your facility.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Regulatory changes and needs of our communities create the opportunity for utilities to innovate systems to become more sustainable, clean energy based, and cost effective. When making choices in the future regarding nutrient removal, algal treatment systems may be a good fit for your utility. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF" face="Arial, sans-serif">Danny McCausland is a Laboratory Analyst for MWRD. He has 6 years of experience in the industry and holds a BA in Environmental Science from Metropolitan University of Denver.</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF" face="Arial, sans-serif">Full Website Links:<br>
<br></font>1.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://algae.com/" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://algae.com/</a></p>
<p>2.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://www.clearaswater.com/" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.clearaswater.com/</a></p>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8343525
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8343525Natalie LoveThu, 14 Nov 2019 05:15:07 GMTHoliday Water Conservation Tips<p>The holidays are approaching fast, and with everything that needs to be done, this usually involves a higher level of water usage. Think: cooking a big meal, thawing out your turkey, and more bathroom breaks during the big Thanksgiving game. To help you cut down on your water usage, I’ve compiled some helpful tips to get you through the holidays:</p>
<ul>
<li>Rather than thawing frozen food under running water, consider letting it thaw in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on the microwave. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/meat-poultry-charts">FoodSafety</a>, the recommended time for thawing a turkey in the fridge is approximately 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds.</li>
<li>Consider washing all your produce in a bowl of cold water instead of rinsing it under running tap water. This change can help to reduce the amount of water lost down the drain. Plus, the water leftover in the bowl can be reused for other purposes, such as watering plants around the house.</li>
<li>Rethink rinsing the dishes with running tap water and instead, let your dishes soak in a sink filled with soapy water. This simple shift uses significantly less water and has the added benefit of making clean-up a bit easier.</li>
<li>Food waste often leads to unnecessary water waste via the garbage disposal. To cut down on water usage, try to cook only what you need and cut down on the garbage disposal usage. Compost food scraps whenever possible, and when they are not compostable, tossing scraps in the trash is a better option than down the sink. Be sure also to avoid pouring any oils or grease down the drain as this can lead to clogged pipes -- and yes, resulting in more water usage.</li>
<li>When cooking vegetables, consider steaming as opposed to boiling. Steaming is a great way to conserve your water usage and has the added benefit of maintaining the nutritional value of the vegetables.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Make the conscious decision only to run your dishwasher with full loads. Especially if you're hosting guests for a big meal, this shouldn't be too big of a problem with the high amount of dishes that you will be using. Cutting down on the number of times you run the dishwasher is a great way to reduce your household's water consumption.</li>
</ul>
<p>The holidays are a great time to spend time with the ones we love and to be thankful for all the wonderful things that our life provides. So, let us enjoy the holiday season, while also helping with water conservation in the process.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF">Michael Hendricks is the Water Quality Supervisor for GEI Consultants, Inc. He has 4 years of experience in the industry and holds a BA in Biological Science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8107046
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8107046Natalie LoveMon, 21 Oct 2019 15:41:06 GMTWater News Around the World<p><font style="font-size: 13px;">In response to Richard’s Local Water News blog from earlier this year, this blog has been written to highlight some worldwide water news. As the new water year begins and the end of the calendar year approaches, here are five uplifting water stories that could help improve our quality of life down the road!</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><br></font></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><font>1)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></strong> <strong><font>Agreements signed for the Reintroduction of Salmon to the Upper Columbia River:</font></strong></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font>From Victoria News in Canada, three leaders of Indigenous groups and two governmental groups have agreed to begin the process of ensuring salmon can reach their once thriving numbers in the Upper Coloumbia River. For the last 80 years dams have prevented the salmon from traveling along their traditional migratory routes, many of these through the state of Washington. The lack of salmon making their traditional runs effects the entire ecosystem, so the First Nations and several governmental agencies made sure an agreement was signed to explore the best ways to reintroduce salmon. In turn, a way of life for the Syilx Okanagan, Ktunaxa, and Secwepemc peoples and their communities could be restored as they will have access to these fish once again. There are, however, plenty of things to consider, such as the best way to manage dams to allow the fish through, climate change, and how the reintroduced salmon will interact with some endangered species now in the basin. This is progress though, and in a world where so many of our ecosystems are consistently fragmented, progress towards reconnecting them is what we need. Read the full story at <a href="https://www.vicnews.com/news/first-nations-governments-agree-to-bring-salmon-back-to-upper-columbia-river/?fbclid=IwAR0HzDN7gUlc9DrtRMPqDNhCpFC4pKdRY8SHxlR-tWaxg5KSOW-1I47nLug" target="_blank">Vicnews</a>.&nbsp;</font></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font><br></font></font></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><font>2)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></strong> <strong><font>Global Science Award Given to Teen for Microplastic Removal:</font></strong></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font>From The Journal in Ireland, an 18 year old from Ballydehob was given the top award in the 2019 Google Science Fair. His project focused on the removal of microplastics from water using ferrofluids and magnets. The teen did point out that while not as effective on polypropylene plastics, it did show effectiveness with fibers found in washing machines. The experiment showed removal of 87% of microplastics in water samples, with a sample size of 1,000 tests. Could ferrofluids be our answer to the rising microplastic issues?&nbsp;</font></font>Meet the 18 year old who believes so and watch his presentation video at <a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-student-science-award-microplastics-4745270-Jul2019/?fbclid=IwAR2_3xF_LzUdR_kQW4-cBMRReNfMV4LGwXwyEQva4LmoR-FFrKP7qokgGC4" target="_blank" style="font-size: 13px;">TheJournal</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><font>3)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></strong> <strong><font>Microfragmenting of Coral to Help Grow Back Coral Reefs:</font></strong></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font>This story is from late 2018 and comes from Tech Maven. Coral reefs can take up to 75 years to reach sexual maturity in nature, however after a coral broke into pieces in the lab a new study was born! Researchers at the International Centre for Coral Reef Research and Restoration found that the corals grew back to their initial sizes in a few weeks rather than the three years it took to grow the original coral piece. What scientists found even more amazing was that once these fragments grew and they touched each other, they recognized themselves and fused together forming one large coral. This process speeds up coral growth by nearly 40 times! The restoration process is in full swing along the Florida Keys. Read more about the crew and check out their BBC Earth Video online at <a href="https://sci-techmaven.io/superposition/caretaking/new-discovery-microfragmenting-can-save-the-coral-reefs-3FN-MHEuUUWHrBEyjWBVwg/" target="_blank">Sci-Techmaven</a>.&nbsp;</font></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font><br></font></font></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><font>4)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></strong> <strong><font>Creating Drinking Water from Air:</font></strong></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;">A story from March this year in the Jerusalem Post provides insight on the Isreali company Watergen, a group determined to bring clean water to just about anywhere in the world just by pulling it out of the atmosphere. Their devices have been improved yearly since they were established in 2009, and have already provided aid in disaster locations across the world, included the United States! Essentially, the device pulls in air, filters the air, then through their heat exchange and cooling process condenses into water. Once filtered and hardened the water can be used as fresh drinking water. With just an electricity supply, the largest generator can create 5000 gallons of drinking water in a day. For more information on the company tackling a shortage of water around the globe visit the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-company-creating-water-from-plain-air-eyes-global-expansion-582328" target="_blank">JPost</a>.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><br></font></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><font>5)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></strong> <strong><font>The Ocean Cleanup is Successfully Gathering Trash in the Pacific Ocean:</font></strong></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font>This story comes out of the Netherlands and is the most recently updated story on this list. If you haven’t heard of The Ocean Cleanup it is worth following. The group was founded in 2013 with a goal of cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch using drifting systems and the ocean currents. The devices drift along the currents and collect plastic, and would just need to be “harvested” for their contents every few months by a small fleet of ships. In early October of this year they announced that the most recent prototype launched in June was successful in collecting and retaining both visible plastics and microplastics as small as 1mm. They still have much work to do in improving their design and growing their fleet, but once fully functional they hope to reduce the size of the garbage patch by half within the first 5 years! Obviously there is much to be done when it comes to cleaning up our oceans, but with companies like The Ocean Cleanup we are moving in the right direction. To learn more about the group, their design, and its sustainability check out their website at <a href="https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanup-successfully-catches-plastic-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/" target="_blank">TheOceanCleanup</a>.</font></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><font><br></font></font></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></p>
<p><span style=""><font style="font-size: 11px;" color="#0076A3">This blog was written by Tyler Eldridge, a Wastewater Laboratory Coordinator for the City of Greeley, and volunteers with RMWQAA as the main contact for website related issues. He has 3 years of experience in the industry and holds a BA in Biological Science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.</font></span></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;">Full Website Links:</font></p>
<ul>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;">1)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://www.vicnews.com/news/first-nations-governments-agree-to-bring-salmon-back-to-upper-columbia-river/?fbclid=IwAR0HzDN7gUlc9DrtRMPqDNhCpFC4pKdRY8SHxlR-tWaxg5KSOW-1I47nLug">https://www.vicnews.com/news/first-nations-governments-agree-to-bring-salmon-back-to-upper-columbia-river/?fbclid=IwAR0HzDN7gUlc9DrtRMPqDNhCpFC4pKdRY8SHxlR-tWaxg5KSOW-1I47nLug</a></font></li>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;">2)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-student-science-award-microplastics-4745270-Jul2019/?fbclid=IwAR2_3xF_LzUdR_kQW4-cBMRReNfMV4LGwXwyEQva4LmoR-FFrKP7qokgGC4">https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-student-science-award-microplastics-4745270-Jul2019/?fbclid=IwAR2_3xF_LzUdR_kQW4-cBMRReNfMV4LGwXwyEQva4LmoR-FFrKP7qokgGC4</a></font></li>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;">3)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://sci-techmaven.io/superposition/caretaking/new-discovery-microfragmenting-can-save-the-coral-reefs-3FN-MHEuUUWHrBEyjWBVwg/">https://sci-techmaven.io/superposition/caretaking/new-discovery-microfragmenting-can-save-the-coral-reefs-3FN-MHEuUUWHrBEyjWBVwg/</a></font></li>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;">4)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-company-creating-water-from-plain-air-eyes-global-expansion-582328">https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-company-creating-water-from-plain-air-eyes-global-expansion-582328</a></font></li>
<li><font style="font-size: 13px;">5)<font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanup-successfully-catches-plastic-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/">https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanup-successfully-catches-plastic-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/</a></font></li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8069699
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/8069699Tyler EldridgeFri, 27 Sep 2019 03:00:19 GMTThe Season of Algae Blooms<p>Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) are not only a rapidly growing environmental and health concern but are increasingly being broadcasted in the news and raising public concerns. Hearing about a resident or pet’s health issues from a local lake can make you ask yourself, could this happen in my city’s local body of water and am I prepared to resolve the issue?</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Finding solutions to drinking water problems caused by algae is an ongoing challenge to the water industry from taste and odor, to filter clogging Diatoms, to harmful algal blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria. There is a widespread belief that the frequency and severity of surface water impairment by algae is increasing due to human impact, leading to higher nutrient levels in-stream and increased eutrophication. Algae may also be linked to droughts and the result of climate change. In addition to drinking water quality, there are growing concerns for lake and reservoir ecosystems.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>The EPA and CDPHE are moving in the direction of additionally creating more recreational guidelines and regulations to monitor concentrations of certain blue green algae, mainly Cylindrospermopsin, Anotoxin-A, and Microsystins. Dependent on whether the body of water must meet swimming standards or recreational standards, there are different guidelines for criteria excursions.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the criteria in Table 1, but it is up to individual states to adopt these criteria. Table 2 summarizes the World Health Organization’s recreational guidance and action levels.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Table 1: Recommended recreational criteria and swimming advisory criteria. Swimming advisory not to exceed on any day and recreation criteria not to exceed more than 10 percent of days per recreational season.</strong></p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="332" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-color: windowtext; border-width: 1px;">
<p>Microcystins</p>
</td>
<td width="179" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p>Cylindrospermopsin</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p>8 ug/l</p>
</td>
<td width="179" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p>15 ug/l</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong><br></strong></p>
<p><strong>Table 2: WHO recreational guidelines.</strong></p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-color: windowtext; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Relative probability of Acute Health Effects</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Cyanobacteria (cells/mL)</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Chlorophyll a (ug/L)</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Estimated Microcystin Levels (ug/L</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Low</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&lt;20,000</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">10</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&lt; 10</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Moderate</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">20,000-100,000</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">10 - 50</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">10 – 20</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">High</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&gt;100,000 – 10,000,000</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">50 – 5,00</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">20 – 2,000</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">Very High</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&gt;10,000,000</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&gt;5,000</p>
</td>
<td width="156" valign="top" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">
<p align="center">&gt;2,000</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br></p>
<p>If these numbers indicate a potential risk or vulnerability of HABs, it is recommended that your organization start implementing or update a proactive plan or SOP to monitor local lakes. This can be done in conjunction with local Parks Departments and/or water utilities department members. Monitor and set levels of concentrations at which potential risk for relative probability of acute health effects could affect the public. Look at modifying warning signs to prevent public contamination, research treatment options, and identify species with the CDPHE lab or a private lab to know for certain what you are dealing with. Check out CDPHE’s “Algae bloom risk-management toolkit for recreational waters” for more help in managing risk.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>There are options for treatment and monitoring that are becoming more advanced but also expensive. Chemical treatment has always been an option but is a recurring expense that might cause more harm to the ecological environment and potentially a temporary release of toxins depending on chemical solutions and concentrations. The addition of dissolved oxygen through blowers, aerators or mixers are all treatment options but also could come with energy costs. Ultrasonic treatment is another option but is depended on surface area of the body of water.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Ultimately, it is a growing issue of concern, like all other emerging contaminants like TENORM and PFAS that needs more research and technology to mitigate the issue and understand prevention of toxin production, monitoring and identifying strategies and possible treatment options for the goal of public health and safety.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF">John Winterton works for the City of Northglenn as the Laboratory Supervisor. He's been with&nbsp;Northglenn for 3.5 years for lab and operations&nbsp;but&nbsp;recently moved to&nbsp;his current position.&nbsp;Prior to that, he worked as a lab technician for the Chicago land area for 5 years. He holds a Class A wastewater license in Colorado and a Class B Water for Illinois. John is not an expert in the field of HABs and identifying algae species, but he has taken on the topic as it has been a growing concern in Northglenn and statewide.</font></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<p>CDPHE Algae Bloom Risk-Management Toolkit</p>
<p>EPA Recommendations for Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxin Monitoring in Recreational Waters</p>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7903756
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7903756Natalie LoveWed, 28 Aug 2019 00:00:16 GMTScience Fair Fun - Inspire and Be Inspired<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/pic.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="72"><br></p>
<p>Have you ever judged a science fair? Science fairs are held on levels from individual school fairs up to the state science fair.&nbsp; I have been volunteering for several years now and I am always amazed at the ideas many young scientists are developing.&nbsp; Science fair participants are budding young scientists and as a judge you can help them to improve their scientific method and investigative skills. Inspire them to be better researchers and problem solvers.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>There is also an exchange of inspiration.&nbsp; These are not the typical solar system model, lava volcano science fair projects that were presented in the days of old.&nbsp; Many students are aware of issues we deal with in the world around us and they are looking for solutions.&nbsp; Some of the projects from this year include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Development of imaging tools used for medical diagnosis, faster MRI scanning;</li>
<li>A computer aided surgical tool for precision spinal surgery;</li>
<li>Studying the effects of antibiotics consumed by humans on resistance of E. coli in water systems.</li>
</ul>
<p>Participant’s passion is displayed when they are explaining their projects.&nbsp; The reward of seeing the twinkle in their eye, even when they know you don’t grasp all the information they are presenting.&nbsp; A lot of time and energy are invested in the research for these projects and science fairs are not possible without judges.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The new school year has started, and science fair season will begin soon as well.&nbsp; If you have the opportunity, judge a science fair and share in fostering the next generation of scientists.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>By Adele Rucker</p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7852284
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7852284Natalie LoveFri, 26 Jul 2019 14:16:20 GMTWhy is it so Hard to do the Right Thing with Chemical Disposal?<p>Has this situation ever happened to you in your lab?</p>
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<p>Something goes wrong with a test, so you order a new chemical and the new chemical fixes the problem. You are happy your problem is fixed, but you are stuck with a batch of chemical that you don’t want to keep around in your lab since it may have been the source of the problem. You decide to dispose of it, but when you pull out your Safety Data Sheet (SDS), under disposal considerations, it says: “Dispose of in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.” You think, what the heck does that mean? Where do I go to track down this information? You are stuck holding on to a bottle of chemical that you are 95% sure can go into the trash but you want to do things correctly for the environment and follow all the rules. What do you do?</p>
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<p>I went to a few different places to scope it out. I started on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website and checked out their SDS page.&nbsp; There I learned that the disposal considerations section is listed as “Non-Mandatory”. Huh? I guess proper disposal isn’t so important. In fact, sections on regulatory, transport, and ecological information are also non-mandatory. Sorry little fishes and other creatures of the world. That isn’t to say that disposal doesn’t matter to OSHA, they still have high expectations that hazardous materials are properly disposed of. Upon further reading, the reason they don’t enforce disposal is because other agencies enforce it and someone else has it covered.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Who is that someone else?&nbsp; &nbsp;How do you know what jurisdiction disposal falls under? Well, that’s a good question. The American Veterinary Medical Association explained waste regulation the best, “Simply put, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the disposal of products with environmental impact; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates factors associated with potential employee exposure to hazardous substances; the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides guidance pertaining to products used in the workplace that impact human and public health; and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulates the disposal of controlled substances.” That’s a lot of regulators!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Despite all these agencies involvement, ultimately proper disposal is up to the disposer. So how do you figure out what to do? I eventually stumbled upon a citation for an actual list of regulated hazardous waste listed in the Code of Federal Regulations. In 40 CFR § 261 Subpart D lists out the categories of hazardous wastes, and within each category, the types of waste or the specific chemicals that are classified as hazardous. For the individual chemicals, the list includes the chemical name, hazardous waste classification number, CAS number, and information on why it is listed as hazardous (i.e. toxic, flammable, corrosive, etc…).</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Verification of your chemical on EPA’s list is not enough. In some cases, state regulations are more stringent than the EPA regulations, so you still need to check with your state to see if the compound is hazardous or not. All states should have some guidance on this. In Colorado, it is the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s “Colorado Hazardous Waste Regulations, Part 261 Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste”. Pages 84-105 have a similar list to the EPA’s where you can check to see if it is on the list.</p>
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<p>Even then it may not be enough. If you are planning on dumping the chemical down the drain, you will also need to check with your local wastewater treatment plant. If you are the local WWTP, hopefully you already know what is allowed down the drain and what isn’t. If not, check in with your pretreatment department to see what guidance document they have on waste disposal. You should also check with your solid waste provider. I had a hard time finding any info on hazardous waste disposal for Denver, but Denver actually has a customer technical assistance line that could likely answer some questions.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Unfortunately, the search for the appropriate disposal does not end here. Once you know whether you are dealing with hazardous or non-hazardous compounds, you still need to dispose of it properly. This is still a bit of a mystery to me. It appears non-hazardous waste can be disposed of in the trash, but I don’t know of that is 100% true. Some guidance mentioned that bottles should be rinsed and the label removed, but it didn’t sound like a must. I searched 40 CFR and CDPHE’s website for non-hazardous waste disposal and came up with nothing. I’m sure this information is out there. The search continues…</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>If you have knowledge of more in depth instructions or information on waste disposal, please contact a RMWQAA board member, reply to this post, or start a discussion in the forum, so that our membership can be more informed.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF">Natalie Love is the Laboratory Director at GEI Consultants, Inc. GEI conducts Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing, low-level nutrient analysis, and benthic macroinvertebrate identifications. She lives in Denver with her husband, 2 daughters, and mastiff.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7798140
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7798140Natalie LoveWed, 12 Jun 2019 02:36:36 GMTLaboratory Succession Planning<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">Change is the law of life. &nbsp;And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. ~ John F. Kennedy</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">The Broomfield Wastewater Laboratory has been undergoing change for the past 4 months. &nbsp;Several analysts have been promoted and assumed new duties. Even with the process working relatively smoothly, it took 4 months for the laboratory to be completely staffed. We were lucky that we had such dedicated and competent analysts that wanted to advance. &nbsp;This process made me think about the importance of succession planning.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">So, what is succession planning? &nbsp;It is a process designed to ensure the continued effective performance of an organization by creating a steady and reliable pipeline of talent that will meet its future needs in leadership and other key roles.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">In a laboratory it is important to train at least two analysts on the same procedure. &nbsp;The procedure can be the primary duty of one analyst and the other analyst can be used for back-up. That way you have coverage for vacations and sick leave. &nbsp;This is also beneficial when a person decides to quit or retire, because you aren’t left without someone who can step-up and fill the gap.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">It is the lab supervisor’s job to make their staff successful. &nbsp;Don’t put roadblocks in their way.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">McKinsey said there are seven obstacles to successful talent management:</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senior managers don’t spend enough high-quality time on talent management</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Organization is “siloed” and does not encourage constructive collaboration and sharing of resources</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Line managers are not sufficiently committed to development of people’s capabilities and careers</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Line managers are unwilling to differentiate their people as top-average and under-performers</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senior leaders are not sufficiently involved in shaping talent management strategy</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senior leaders do not align talent management strategy with business strategy</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Line managers do not address under-performance effectively, even when chronic</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">Take the time and look at your team and talk to them about their future plans. &nbsp;Establish a process to start succession planning. Some stats to consider: 66% of senior managers hired from the outside usually fail within the first 18 months (Center for Creative Leadership); companies with a succession plan that results in an internal hire “are less likely to experience this negative effect on employee morale” (Making Transitions Work,” Canadian Center for Management Development)</font></p>
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<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#0000FF" face="Arial, sans-serif">Lesa Julian has worked for the City and County of Broomfield for 28 years.&nbsp; She is currently the Environmental Services Superintendent.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7573543
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7573543Natalie LoveSat, 25 May 2019 20:58:11 GMTLocal Water News<p>After bouncing around some ideas for this month’s RMWQAA blog, I decided that what I wanted to do was to present some good local news in the water field. So I poked around a little bit, found some tidbits of good water news from the Rocky Mountain area, and decided to share.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>A disclaimer: Since good news, very much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, these represent good news in my own personal opinion.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>#1: 2019 is a very good year for snowfall!</strong></p>
<p>There are a slew of different snow pack estimates out there, but the general consensus is that this year’s runoff could lift Colorado out of drought, at least for now. &nbsp;This oft referred to SNOTEL map from the USDA shows that the total Colorado Snow Water Equivalent is 240% of median (on 5/23/2019).</p>
<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Map.png" alt="" title="" border="0" width="534" height="406"><br></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Of course, the actual amount of usable water depends on factors such as temperature, runoff, and evaporation. However, the United States Drought Monitor, which had estimated that 77% of Colorado was experiencing drought conditions as late as July 2018, earlier this month estimated that less than 1% of the state is classified as being in drought conditions.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>This is also very good news for New Mexico, where predictions of flow into Elephant Butte Lake (one of the major agricultural reservoirs for southern New Mexico, and fed by Colorado’s Upper Rio Grande Basin) are at 155% of average. That is compared to 13% of average last year. This bodes well for water use and storage for all other states downstream from Colorado too.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>#2: There was a new Colorado River drought plan signed on May 19</strong></p>
<p>Speaking of states downstream from Colorado, all seven states (CO, NM, CA, AZ, WY, NV, and UT) in the Colorado River compact and the federal government have signed an agreement to keep Lake Powell and Lake Mead (the two largest reservoirs in the US) from being depleted. Under the agreement, water deliveries would be reduced to states based on varying water levels in the reservoirs.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>This is not a perfect agreement, but it does mention the future need to adjust for global warming and the likely scenario that future water allocations may be curtailed by 15-35%. So, progress.</p>
<p><strong><br></strong></p>
<p><strong>#3: Colorado is pushing back against lax Clean Water Act (CWA) protections</strong></p>
<p>Moving on from water quantity to water quality.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Colorado’s Attorney General has called for a halt to proposed new USEPA rules that dismantle key parts of the CWA and remove important wetland and headwater protections in Colorado. These new rules would leave thousands of miles of Colorado waters without protections.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Colorado is making a stand by showing that what happens in their headwaters affects everyone downstream and is fighting for clean water for fishing, recreation (which are both important economic considerations), and animal habitat.</p>
<p>Colorado is one of a group of states urging the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (who administer the CWA) not to use the new, looser guidelines.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>#4: Local water conservation taxes passed</strong></p>
<p>This goes back to the 2018 November elections, but I was unaware that while state tax proposals for infrastructure and education failed (indicating a general anti-tax bias in Colorado), local water conservation taxes in Denver, Eagle, Chaffee, and Park counties passed. These local tax successes were the result of lots of groundwork - including input from local shareholders - and indicate that voters will agree to increased taxes if there is a direct need and there is a sound and fair plan for spending the money.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Hopefully this local approval of tax-based water conservation projects bodes well for funding the Colorado Water Plan (CWP), which may be offered as a ballot measure in 2020. The CWP is a huge statewide initiative that would fund new water projects, protect stream quality and aquatic life, implement conservation programs, protect agriculture, and keep up with increased demand. The estimated cost will be about $100,000,000 per year for 20 years. If offered as a ballot issue, it will be the biggest direct water issue ever put in front of Colorado voters.</p>
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<p>I know that for water professionals there isn’t always a lot of good news right in front of us. Look for and appreciate the good news that is out there!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><font color="#0000FF">Rich MacAlpine, whose opinions here are solely his own, is currently a Laboratory Supervisor at Metro Wastewater Reclamation District</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7419782
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7419782Natalie LoveSat, 20 Apr 2019 20:21:23 GMTLockheed Martin Tour Recap<p style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">On March 21st, members of the RMWEA/RMSAWWA Lab Practices<img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Lockheed%201.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="267" height="150" align="right" style="margin: 8px;"><br>
Committee(LPC) and RMWQAA toured the wastewater treatment plant at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Waterton Canyon&nbsp;<font style="font-size: 15px;" face="Arial, sans-serif">located in Littleton, Colorado. This treatment plant serves the 6200-acre facility with a&nbsp;</font>rich history of industrial use. The site was first constructed in the mid 1950’s to build the <span>Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile.</span> Since the initial build, the company had experienced several mergers and different focuses and has been known as Lockheed Martin since 1997.&nbsp;</p>
<p><font style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" face="Arial, sans-serif">Over the ye</font><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">ars, the plant has manufactured hundreds of rockets designed to carry missiles, and communications satellites into space.&nbsp; Crafts such as the Titan, Gemini, Viking, Voyager, and Cassini were all built at the Waterton Canyon facility.&nbsp; Waterton Canyon was chosen specifically because the natural geology of the area provided more security and noise control than other sites.</font> <font face="Helvetica, sans-serif">&nbsp;</font><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">In fact, the location tops a 1,700-foot-deep bedrock formation that isolates it from even the smallest seismic movement and provides the ultimate environment for testing the stability of various systems.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Early years of rocket launch testing contaminated the soil and groundwater with rocket fuel and manufacturing chemicals.&nbsp; The EPA declared it a Superfund site in 1989, however, this designation was soon removed.&nbsp; Initial clean-up efforts included removal of contaminated soil, wells, and solid waste.&nbsp; Decades later the main contaminant remaining in the groundwater is N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a breakdown product of hydrazine rocket fuel. Lockheed’s industrial wastewater treatment plant is responsible for treating the groundwater as well as production waste from space component manufacturing processes.&nbsp; Domestic waste is collected and piped to South Platte Water Renewal Partners (previously known as Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant) where it is treated and discharged into segment 6a of the South Platte River.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">The NDMA contaminated groundwater treatment has been going on continually for the past</font> <font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">20 years. Luckily, the geography of the area funnels groundwater into two main channels making it easy to reclaim all of it for treatment.&nbsp; NDMA is treated via UV Photolysis where it’s degraded using high levels of UV irradiation.&nbsp; The Nitrogen bonds are broken leaving NO and (CH3-N=CH2).&nbsp; The NO then gets oxidized into nitrite and then nitrate.&nbsp; The dimethylamine oxidizes to form bicarbonate.&nbsp; The UV bulbs are similar to the bulbs used in domestic wastewater plants, but instead of having a group of bulbs in a grid, only one very high-powered bulb is used.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Lockheed%202.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="154" height="204" align="left" style="margin: 8px;">Initial levels of NDMA in the groundwater were around 300 ppb. After 20 years of continual treatment, the levels have dropped to about half, and through treatment, they are able to meet their permit limit for NDMA.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Other waste streams contain high levels of chromium and zinc from manufacturing or washing processes.&nbsp; Aluminum is etched off of casings of crafts to minimize the weight and fuel it takes to launch.&nbsp; Chromium plating is used to prevent oxidation. &nbsp;The metals are treated using</font> <font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">hydroxide precipitation, followed by polymer flocculation. The sludge is then dewatered with a sludge press and dried for disposal. The final effluent water goes through sand filtration, Nitrite oxidation, carbon feed, granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange, and final pH adjustment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">The industrial wastewater treatment plant discharges just upstream of Chatfield Reservoir, which requires discharges to meet stringent fishery, recreation, and drinking water standards outlined in Control Regulation Reg 73 that can be found here:&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</font><a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/73_2009%2803%29header.pdf">https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/73_2009%2803%29header.pdf</a>&nbsp; <font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Lockheed Martin hasn’t had a permit violation for decades and has actively participated in the Chatfield Watershed Authority.&nbsp;<font face="Arial, sans-serif">The tour was very informative and interesting.&nbsp; Although we didn’t get to tour any of the rest of the top-secret, high-security site, we did see the hillside that they once launched rockets into as well as a peek at the new $350 million dollar Gateway Center right next door to the plant.&nbsp; You can read more about that here:&nbsp;</font> <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/space/gateway-center.html" style="font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/space/gateway-center.html</font></a></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><br></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style=""><font face="Calibri" style=""><font color="#0000FF" style="font-size: 16px;">Michelle Neilson, Water Quality Technician, has been with Metro Wastewater for 8.5 years.&nbsp; She has a B.S. in Chemistry, and has 19 years of experience in the Environmental field.&nbsp; Michelle has worked for USGS, contract laboratories, and several municipal wastewater and drinking water labs prior to Metro Wastewater.</font></font><br></font></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7296056
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7296056Natalie LoveFri, 22 Mar 2019 04:18:13 GMTPersistent PFASs<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">PFASs or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have become a growing concern over the last decade due to widespread use and persistence in the environment and in the human body. According to the ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry), PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. The most common types of PFAS include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), however, there are many other forms which are not studied as well and used throughout the world. &nbsp;They can be found in non-stick cookware, water repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, firefighting foams, and products resistant to grease, water, and oil. The widespread production and use of PFAS contributes to its ubiquity not only in the environment, but also leads to its accumulation and persistence in the human body.</font></p>
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<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">Environmental exposure to PFAS could occur through multiple methods from contact with the manufacturing process, usage, and disposal of PFAS products. For example, surface water or groundwater and the surrounding soil becoming contaminated after receiving run-off in areas where firefighting foam was used. According to the EPA, human exposure can occur through daily usage of popular consumer products such as cookware, stain repellants, and even pizza boxes. A major concern with PFAS exposure is its persistence and ability to stay in the environment and in living organisms for a long period of time. As a result of repeated exposure, the amount of chemical in the bodies of humans and animals alike can accumulate and lead to adverse health effects.</font></p>
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<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">Researchers have been studying the adverse health effects in animal models to better understand how these chemicals cause toxicity and what organ systems are being affected. Studies indicate that the PFAS can disrupt endocrine activity, reduce immune function, and can cause adverse effects on multiple organs including the liver, kidneys, and pancreas (NIH, 2019). Epidemiological studies with humans, though limited, have shown an increase in cholesterol levels, cancer, and thyroid hormone disruption (EPA, 2019). Although more research is needed to fully understand the health risks and impacts of PFAS, actions have been taken to limit the exposure to these chemicals.</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">The EPA lowered the non-binding health advisory limit for some PFAS compounds found in public water systems. However, because of the growing concern that these chemicals may cause adverse effects to human health at lower levels, further action was taken to reduce exposure in some states. In Fountain, Colorado, the EPA announced the first-ever comprehensive nationwide PFAS action plan. The plan consists of expanding PFAS monitoring in the environment, enhancing scientific research for addressing PFAS by developing new analytical methods and tools, and clarifying clean up strategies. Furthermore, two chemical classes of PFAS have been phased out of industry in the United States, PFOA and PFOS, and the EPA is working to list these chemicals as hazardous substances under the Superfund Program (ATSDR, 2018). Future strategies and regulations include recommendations in the clean-up of the persisting PFOA and PFOS levels in groundwater and expanding limitations to other chemical classes of PFAS.</font></p>
<p><strong><font style="font-size: 16px;"><br></font></strong></p>
<p><strong><font style="font-size: 16px;">References:</font></strong></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2018 January 10). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and your health. Retrieved from</font> <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/overview.html"><font style="font-size: 16px;">https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/overview.html</font></a></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">Brady, J., Hurdle, J. Phillips, S. (2019 February 14). EPA says it plans to limit toxic PFAS chemicals, but not soon enough for critics. Retrieved from</font> <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694660716/epa-says-it-will-regulate-toxic-pfas-chemicals-but-not-soon-enough-for-critics"><font style="font-size: 16px;">https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694660716/epa-says-it-will-regulate-toxic-pfas-chemicals-but-not-soon-enough-for-critics</font></a></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2019, March 8). Retrieved from <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm">https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm</a></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 16px;">United States Environmental Protection Agency (2019 February 13). News release: EPA to announce first-ever comprehensive nationwide PFAS action plan in Fountain, Colorado.</font> <font style="font-size: 16px;">Retrieved from</font> <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announce-first-ever-comprehensive-nationwide-pfas-action-plan-fountain-colorado"><font style="font-size: 16px;">https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announce-first-ever-comprehensive-nationwide-pfas-action-plan-fountain-colorado</font></a></p>
<p><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><br></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">United States Environmental Protection Agency. Basic Information on PFAS. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas#main-content" style="">https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas#main-content</a></font></p>
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<p><font color="#0000FF" style="font-size: 16px;">Ashley Romero is the Laboratory Manager at GEI Consultants, Inc. and has a background in ecotoxicology.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7239376
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7239376Natalie LoveFri, 01 Mar 2019 05:07:04 GMTFebruary RMWQAA Event Recap.<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">February was a busy month for the RMWQAA with a brewery tour and participation in the Metropolitan State University of Denver's Water Career Fair. The Breckenridge Brewery’s Littleton campus hosted a group of nearly 30 analysts for a FREE, fun-filled tour of the beautiful brewery and tasting room. After having all our questions answered by the tour guide and laboratory guru, we wrapped up in the restaurant with a rousing game of telephone. Just as much fun as elementary school with pink pigs flying!</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Breckenridge%20Brewery%202019.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="482" height="362"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">Five RMWQAA members manned a booth at Metro’s water career fair on Tuesday February 26th. RMWQAA flyers and handouts summarizing other resources for water careers were provided to attendees. Many students stopped by the fair to chat with our RMWQAA leaders about their jobs in the water field, promoting the value of water careers.</font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p><font style="font-size: 13px;" color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif">Don’t miss out on future RMWQAA and RMWEA-LPC sponsored events! There are still open spots in the upcoming Lockheed Martin Tour. Sign up today!!</font></p>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7192956
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7192956Natalie LoveThu, 17 Jan 2019 20:28:46 GMTERA Tour 2019!<p>To kick off 2019, RMWQAA was pleased to sponsor a tour of the ERA lab in Golden, Colorado. Tucked up aside one of the many beautiful hills that dot the Front range, about 18 people were treated to an inside look at a premier proficiency testing laboratory. ERA was founded in 1977 in Chicago, Illinois by a pair of cousins who were also prominent members with Test America and Colorado Analytical. ERA was acquired in 2006 by Waters Corp, the worldwide leader in liquid chromatography, mass spec, and thermal analyses. Waters Corp now houses the lab we were visiting on the 9<sup>th</sup> of January, where they have been located since 2011.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>After a quick introduction to our tour guides Daniel, Colleen, and Curtis and an emergency exit protocol reminder, we were off in groups of 5 or 6 to check out the lab and surrounding offices. Being the largest proficiency testing company in the U.S. requires quite a large lab and a hefty workforce to go with it. This was apparent when we were shown to the laboratory, where nearly half of ERA’s 86 employees work. The lab is split into sections, with an inorganic side and an organics side. The inorganic side is responsible for much of the proficiency testing and quality control work. They also run IC and mercury analyses, as well as TOC and conductivity for ultra pure water systems. To the side and in a separate room is where they work with their soil samples. It was interesting to find out later on that they typically collect enough soil to work with the same batch for 6-7 years.</p>
<p>On the opposite site of the lab we found organics analyses being performed. These included radio-chem testing, gas and liquid chromatography, and a separate room for microbiological testing. This side of the lab was also where Waters Corp employees did work with their standards and reagents. Just outside the laboratory we found the shipping department, a highly organized and well-oiled machine of a workforce. Even in January they were already prepared to ship hundreds of orders and prepare thousands</p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Blog%20Pictures/ERASampleNewsletter.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="133" height="176" align="right">
<p>&nbsp;more! I couldn’t exactly pinpoint their method of organization, but it was clear they knew what they were doing and where every item could be found!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>As we looped back towards the start of the tour, we were introduced to the various customer service teams at ERA. The IT department consisted of 5 individuals, highlighted by Harlan, who was responsible for creating the eDATA platform that ERA and its customers use to analyze data. This was implemented in 2015 and is an impressive piece of programming worth digging into! Next to the IT department was a group of 8 people who handle the large volume of calls and e-mails received nationally and internationally. Between them they typically take over 200 calls per day! The remaining positions taken in the customer service department of ERA were the 3 individuals who communicate with state and regulatory bodies, check data for accuracy, and handle reports. In 2014 Waters ERA established a 2-day turn around for final study reports following the end of a PT run. These three people manage to double check reports and data for errors AND get the reports sent out quickly. Clearly the 12-15 years of experience, on average, between the three of them has produced some high quality work!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>The tour concluded with a walk through the main room, where it was pointed out that each of the conference rooms were named for elements. Meeting in the Hydrogen room, ASAP! Once we settled into the original meeting room with some cookies to snack on, we were treated to a solid Q&amp;A session with five prominent members of the ERA staff. Between Tom, Curtis, Mike, Tom, and Brian we attempted to gain all the insight from the decades of experience standing before us. While we weren’t able to acquire the answers to this years DMRQA’s (sorry all), we did find out a couple of interesting bits of information:</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>-Most, if not all of the customer service department teams also have Biology or</p>
<p>Chemistry degrees, and typically everyone began work in a lab prior to joining their team.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -ERA handles over 600,000 individual data points each year.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -If you are looking to receive a proficiency test for a certain analyte and it isn’t available, chances are not enough labs are looking to participate in the same test. It takes 15-20 labs in order for ERA to develop enough quality data to permit sending proficiency testing materials for a certain test. Some labs runni<span style="font-size: 10pt;">ng the m</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">ore obscure analyses may have to look elsewhere or talk some other labs into requesting some proficiency testing.</span></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -Ever wonder what the most failed DMRQA analysis is? Surprisingly it’s pH!! Due to the sheer volume of data points taken, the high confidence level on QC for pH correlates to a range much smaller than other tests. Flip that and look at the least failed DMRQA: BOD! With the widest range of acceptable values, this test tends to hit mos<span style="font-size: 10pt;">t often, though that still doesn’t seem to make the BOD setup any less stressful.</span></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Blog%20Pictures/ERAMugNewsletter.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="133" height="128" align="left">Thanks to all of the people involved in putting this tour together as well as those employed by ERA in helping create accurate QC and PT data! Personally, I walked away with a great amount of respect for the process that goes into creating our proficiency tests that we rely on to prove our accuracy to the state, and really enjoyed touring Waters’ ERA facility! They also sent us home with a sweet color changing mug, some always needed pens, and a flash drive for all those data points!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>*Photos were not allowed to be taken in the lab, my apologies for the lack of pictures to go with the newsletter*</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Tyler Eldridge has a BA in Biology from CSU. He is a Water Quality Analyst for the City of Greeley, volunteers for the RMWQAA, and maintains the RMWQAA website.</p>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7007357
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/7007357Tyler EldridgeSun, 30 Dec 2018 00:26:09 GMTDo you know your DOC?<p>Dissolved Organic Carbon is one of the key water quality components affecting aluminum toxicity and the EPA has taken DOC into account in the newest version of the aluminum criteria. The EPA read through hundreds of comments on the draft aluminum criteria and has made significant improvements over the previous 1988 version that reflect the newest science. The new criteria was only published this month and it will be a while before Colorado and other states fully adopt the new criteria. The EPA has created a tool to help dischargers calculate the aluminum criteria for their site. All you need are the pH, hardness, and DOC concentrations for the receiving water and you can find out the expected new aluminum criteria for your site. So get out there and collect your data now so you can be prepared when the new criteria are implemented in your state. Click <a href="https://www.epa.gov/wqc/aquatic-life-criteria-aluminum#2018" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full aluminum criteria document.</p>
<p><br></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6976467
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6976467Natalie LoveThu, 29 Nov 2018 03:56:22 GMTWater Sampling with Drones<p><font face="Calibri">These days drones are everywhere in the news….drones surveying landscapes, drones taking pictures, even drones delivering pizza. At a recent conference, drones were again at the center of the conversation, but this time, the talk was about drones collecting water samples.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">For anyone who has spent a day launching a boat, and fighting waves, seagulls, and other hazards, the idea of drones doing all that work for you sounds pretty good. While there are numerous benefits to drone sampling, there are significant costs associated with it too.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Let’s start with the positives. Drones can provide an excellent tool for reaching hard to access waterbodies. Much of the drone water sampling currently is at pit lakes at mine sites where access to the water’s edge is risky. Drones allow personnel to work safely, well away from the water’s surface.<span>&nbsp;</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Another benefit is the ability to collect samples at numerous depths using Kemmerer or Van Dorn-type samplers. This allows the sampler to get the same quality data from various depths without being in unsafe conditions. Drones can even be fitted with probes that collect a full suite of standard water column profile data such as depth, pH, temperature, and conductivity.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Even though the upfront cost of a drone sampling system would be high, in the long run, the savings would likely be made up in personnel costs. Typically, launching a boat requires a minimum of two people for safety reasons, and unless the boat is permanently in the water, getting the boat to the site, launching, and all the required sampling can be quite time consuming. Drones can save a significant amount of time by simplifying the entire sampling process.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Drones aren’t for everyone. They do require licensed pilots and many flying restrictions such as keeping the drone within your line of sight and avoiding certain airspace, makes them infeasible for some sites. Battery power is also still a limiting factor. The standard flight time when carrying heavy loads of water can be as short as 15 minutes, meaning numerous sites may not be sampled in a single day without battery replacement or recharging.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">As the temperatures drop, you might be imagining piloting a drone from the warmth of your car, rather than sitting in a cold boat, hoping you don’t get splashed. Unfortunately, if high winds or fog are present, the drone may be grounded and you’ll be stuck sampling the old fashioned way. Despite the drawbacks, drones are allowing samplers to work in much safer conditions than ever before. As long as researchers continue to think up new uses for drones, we may one day be able to stay cozy warm while lake sampling is still getting done.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><span>&nbsp;</span></font></p>
<p><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri"><span>Natalie Love is the Laboratory Director at GEI Consultants, Inc. GEI conducts Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing, low-level nutrient analysis, and benthic macroinvertebrate identifications. She lives in Denver with her husband, 2 daughters, and mastiff.</span></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6937504
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6937504Natalie LoveMon, 22 Oct 2018 03:53:29 GMTMycoremediation - Mushrooms Could Help Clean Toxic Groundwater in New Mexico<p>This is an excerpt from an article published by the Associated Press</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Click&nbsp;the link for&nbsp;access to the full article:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2018-10-03/mushrooms-could-help-clean-toxic-groundwater-in-new-mexico"><font face="Calibri" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2018-10-03/mushrooms-could-help-clean-toxic-groundwater-in-new-mexico</font></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">This excerpt was taken from www.USnews.com and reprinted under the Fair Use act of 2007</font></p>
<p><font style="font-family: arial,sans; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com</font></p>
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<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">Water conservationists and a Native American women's advocacy group believe they've found a potential solution to a massive, decades-old underground plume of toxic chromium that likely has spread from property owned by Los Alamos National Laboratory to San Ildefonso Pueblo land.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">The key ingredient? Mushrooms. They want the lab to give their fungi-based idea a try.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">At an upcoming meeting, the nonprofit Tewa Women United and Communities for Clean Water will try to convince lab officials to start a pilot project to test whether a bioremediation technique based on mushrooms could help decontaminate the aquifer of hexavalent chromium that lab workers over several decades dumped into a canyon from cooling towers at an old power plant.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">It may sound far-fetched, but advocates say the technique, called mycoremediation, could be healthier for the environment and less costly than efforts the lab is currently using to treat contaminated water pumped out of the plume. The lab is testing other remediation methods as well, such as pumping molasses and bacteria into the plume to convert the highly carcinogenic chromium-6 to chromium-3, which is far less toxic.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">"Conventional remediation strategies are inherently harmful to a very fragile ecosystem," said Kaitlin Bryson, an Albuquerque-based artist and organic farmer who is helping spearhead the mycoremediation proposal.&nbsp; Bryson, 30, said the idea is in its infancy, and she's not sure exactly how many mushrooms it would take to completely restore the aquifer.&nbsp; "I really can't conceptualize," she said.&nbsp; The group plans to pitch the idea during a public hearing in Los Alamos in early November on a state discharge permit for the lab. The groups contend the permit was approved three years ago without public input.&nbsp; "It's really not a crazy concept," said Peter McCoy, a Portland,&nbsp;</font><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon"><font color="#2262BB" face="inherit,serif">Oregon</font></a><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">-based mycologist, a scientist who studies fungus, who is helping Bryson with the proposal.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">McCoy has experimented with mushrooms for about 17 years and has been leading smaller-scale mycoremediation projects for four years. The results can be significant, he said.&nbsp; The technique uses mycelium, the vegetative body of a fungus, which acts as a magnet to extract heavy metals from soil and water.&nbsp; The first step is to grow molds in a material such as agar, a jelly-like substance found in some types of seaweed. The substance is then inoculated with mycelium and grows. The end result is a mycelial "brick" or "bead," which is used to strip away toxic materials, advocates say.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">The method has been used to break down diesel fuel, harmful bacteria and even diapers, according to studies by Paul Stamets, a mycologist who has secured an Environmental Protection Agency contract to research mycoremediation.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">The strategy also has been used in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where Chevron is accused of dumping billions of gallons of oil-drilling waste into unlined pits.&nbsp; McCoy sees the chromium plume project as an opportunity to advance the science. "If we are able to move forward, this would be a great proving ground for this technology," he said.&nbsp; "It's really a no-brainer," said Bryson.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">She led a mycoremediation workshop in April and again earlier this month at the Regeneration Fest: Youth Water Protectors Gathering in Española, where participants explored ways to care for their communities, land and water. She hopes to hold similar workshops in the future.&nbsp; Bryson envisions a community remediation effort in which homemade mycelial bricks or beads are placed at a contamination site as part of an art-like installation.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">Copyright 2018 The&nbsp;</font><a href="http://www.ap.org/"><font color="#2262BB" face="inherit,serif">Associated Press</font></a><font color="#333333" face="inherit,serif">. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6846008
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6846008Natalie LoveWed, 26 Sep 2018 03:19:33 GMTNetworking 101<p><img width="528" height="396" title="" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Networking.jpg" border="0">&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><a name="_Hlk525244759"></a><font color="#000000" face="Calibri">Analysts from Northglenn, Broomfield, Metro, and Aurora display their molecule string art made at the Summer Social 2018</font></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">What is Networking?&nbsp; Jockeying for position for a new job?&nbsp; Hob nobbing with more “important” people?&nbsp; Memorizing the names and personal addresses of 50 people in a room?&nbsp; Maybe it’s not as hard as it seems.&nbsp; The best way to network for one person may be the complete opposite for another.&nbsp; This is more of a discussion around why networking is even a thing and how to approach it with a healthy goal in mind.&nbsp; For many of us lab folks, the idea of networking can be exhausting and really freak us out.&nbsp; So, why should we get out of the comfort zone of the lab to mix and mingle with other lab people?&nbsp; Analytical skills don’t always cross-over to people skills but getting to know people in other labs can be important for many different reasons.&nbsp; It can lead to:</font></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><font face="Calibri"><strong>Sharing of ideas.</strong> What better way to learn about a new process, method, or way of doing things than in a casual setting over a drink or bite to eat?</font></p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri"><strong>Solving problems.</strong> Our field is not Top Secret. Labs are often reluctant to tell others when things are going wrong, but in this community, people want to help and by opening up and sharing issues you are having in your lab, you can learn other options to solve your problems.</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri"><strong>Sharing of instruments/reagents/chemicals.</strong> How many times have you realized that you are out of a certain chemical and there is no way to get a new batch in time. Maybe that new person you chatted with at the lab nearby can spare enough to get you out of a pickle.</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri"><strong>New friends.</strong> The lab community is full of interesting, amazing people who you may have a connection with beyond the basic chit chat.&nbsp; If nothing else, you now have familiar faces to say hello to at future conferences and trainings.</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri"><strong>Future job opportunities.</strong> Being able to put a face with a name increases the likelihood of standing out in a sea of resumes.</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri"><strong>Growing your skill set</strong>. Networking can open the door to new programs, projects, and professional organizations that can all help you grow in your professional career.</font></li>
</ul>
<p><font face="Calibri">So, what to do if you like the sound of these outcomes, but don’t feel comfortable at networking events?&nbsp; First of all, not many people truly feel comfortable networking, so keep it in mind that the person standing next to you may be just as uncomfortable as you.&nbsp; If mingling is not your strong suit, try setting a goal of talking to just one or two people or getting an answer to a very specific lab issue at an event. &nbsp;One easy way to get to know others at networking events is to ask lots of questions.&nbsp; A few to get you started:</font></p>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">What lab do you work in and what analyses do you do?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">Do you use any contract labs for anything? Do you like them?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">What analysis do you have the most issues with? Why?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">Are there any new methods you are considering keeping in-house?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">What certifications do you have/what auditors have you worked with? What has your experience been with them?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">What do you anticipate being the biggest challenge for your lab in the coming year?</font></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><font face="Calibri">What are the biggest successes you have had?</font></li>
</ul>
<p><font face="Calibri">Keep all this in mind when you come to the holiday social this December 6<sup>th</sup>!&nbsp; We all love to see new faces as well as catch up with those we haven’t seen in a while.</font><font face="Calibri">&nbsp;<br></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6693140
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6693140Natalie LoveFri, 10 Aug 2018 20:38:31 GMTLow Level Mercury In-House<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The City and County of Broomfield has been contracting low-level mercury analyses for many years. The permit requires monthly sampling of the effluent.&nbsp; We also collect upstream and influent samples for comparison. The sampling requires two people to grab four samples a day (every two hours) and then prepare a flow proportional composite from these samples.&nbsp; The contract lab was awesome because they would provide us with a cooler with everything that we needed for the sampling event (pre-cleaned bottles, bags, gloves).&nbsp; We would send them the individual bottles and then they would composite the samples based on the flow data that we provided.&nbsp; However, on several occasions, the bottles broke during transit.&nbsp; Also, it often took weeks to get the results to us.&nbsp; Since this is a required monthly test, this was stressful, because we would need to know before the end of the month if there was an issue with the sample, so we could resample if necessary.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As we were planning for a laboratory expansion in 2015, we discussed the possibility of bringing this analysis in-house.&nbsp; We visited the City of Ft. Collins wastewater lab and Ginger Wynne and the staff were kind enough to give us a tour of their lab and show us their low-level mercury setup.&nbsp;&nbsp; We realized that we didn’t need a “clean” room, so we started thinking that this could work for us. We worked with the design team to create a metals/mercury lab with PVC fume hoods and polypropylene cabinets. The instrument’s autosampler can be covered to prevent contamination from environmental factors in the laboratory.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We purchased the mercury analyzer with the expansion and waited until we had <img width="133" height="237" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Pic1.jpg" border="0">everything else set-up in the lab before we brought in the instrument.&nbsp; The laboratory was completed in August 2017 and the analyzer setup and training occurred the first week of October 2017.&nbsp; After the initial training, it took a few more weeks to get the argon gas sparging system setup.&nbsp; By April 2018, the method development was complete, and the first monthly samples were analyzed in-house.&nbsp; Starting in August 2018, we will also begin analyzing our industrial pretreatment samples in-house.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>So, if you were thinking that you have to have a Class 1 cleanroom to perform low level mercury analyses, maybe this will make you realize that isn’t necessary.&nbsp; You do need to have a dedicated “clean” space that is not near any analyses that have mercury in a reagent (looking at you TKNs) and analysts that are diligent about keeping that space clean.</p>
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<p><img width="450" height="801" title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Pic2.jpg" border="0">&nbsp;</p>
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<p><font color="#0000FF" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Lesa Julian&nbsp;is the&nbsp;Wastewater Laboratory Supervisor&nbsp;for&nbsp;the City and County of Broomfield.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6468924
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6468924Natalie LoveSun, 29 Jul 2018 12:21:34 GMTRMWEA Georgetown WWTP Tour Recap<p><font face="Calibri">On July 27, 2018 about 13 people braved the gorgeous weather and semi-busy<img width="267" height="200" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Outside%20WWTP%201.jpg" border="0"> Friday afternoon westbound traffic on I-70 to travel to Georgetown on a RMWEA sponsored tour of the Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant. Besides the learning opportunity and the chance to be in the mountains, beer after the tour at the local Guanella Pass Brewery was also offered as enticement. No wonder the tour was fully booked!</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">The tour focused on the improvements to nutrient and metal removal technologies that were completed in 2011. These treatment upgrades include an Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge system (IFAS) and tertiary polishing of the effluent before chlorination and discharge.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">The 2009-2011 Georgetown WWTP upgrades increased the rated flow by 40%, up to 1.2 MGD. The current average flow is between 0.3 MGD and 0.6 MGD. There is still a lot of room to grow, but there is a large new construction project about a mile upstream from the WWTP that is expected to increase flows by 30% when it is complete.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Once entering the plant (by the way, all flows to the Georgetown WWTP are gravity fed-the city does not have a single pump station), the influent is screened and then enters the secondary treatment area (no primary clarification needed!).</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><img width="267" height="201" title="" align="left" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Outside%20secondary%20and%20EQ.jpg" border="0"><font face="Calibri">T<font face="Calibri">he upgrades included addition of an additional secondary basin with IFAS included for both basins. The attached biomass on the IFAS media (which always looks like tiny plastic pizzelle cookies to me – sorry if you loved pizzelles!) provides increased nitrogen removal (nitrification/denitrification) and some phosphorus removal, while the traditional flocculated activated sludge provides traditional BOD and TSS removal. On the day we were there we were told that both basins were being used, but that the operators go down to one basin during the winter due to reduced flows. The IFAS media takes up about 40% of the volume of each basin, and while the SRT in the basins for the flocculated activated sludge is about 21 days, the media has yet to be replaced after seven years.</font></font></font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Effluent from the secondary enters an equalization (EQ) tank. This is the old secondary clarifier that has been modified to be used as an EQ tank. After the EQ tank, the effluent enters the new secondary clarifier, where it remains for “a few hours” before going to the sand filters.</font></p>
<p><img width="267" height="200" title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Inside%20clarifier.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">The sand filters are the other main technology that was added during the 2009-2011 upgrade. It is an upflow system with two passes. The upflow system allows the effluent to enter at the bottom of the conical shaped filter area and then flow against the flow of the sand. This technology reduces both phosphorous and metals by 90-95% during each pass.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Georgetown is currently discharging phosphorous at well below their permit limit of 0.3 ppm which equates to greater than 90% removal from their influent phosphorus of 3-4 ppm. Metals such as copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead are also greatly reduced using the sand filters.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">After polishing in the sand filters, the effluent enters a traditional chlorine contact basin where it has about 30 minutes contact with chlorine before being dechlorinated with sodium bisulfate before being discharged into Clear Creek right below Georgetown Lake. Georgetown WWTP now uses sodium hypochlorite for disinfection, but they used to make chlorine gas on site!</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">On the solids side, Georgetown uses a screw press to dewater their solids after digestion. Biosolids are then sent to McDonald farms in Denver, as they do not meet land application requirements. Georgetown is happy to have their own screw press (especially since it works great and can achieve 26% solids), as they used to have to share only a mobile screw press between them, Idaho Springs, and Morrison!</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Thanks to the City of Georgetown and RMWEA for the great tour. I was unable to make the beer part of the tour, but I still had a great time and learned a lot!</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><img width="510" height="382" title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Lake.jpg" border="0"></font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Tahoma">Richard MacAlpine holds an MS in Environmental Science (WQ Emphasis) from CU-Denver, is on the Education Subcommittee of RMWQAA, and has worked in the lab at Metro Wastewater Reclamation District for the last decade plus.</font></strong></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6403261
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6403261Natalie LoveWed, 06 Jun 2018 14:06:10 GMTAn Island of Habitat in a Sea of Urban Development<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Barr Lake shares a rich history in Colorado and has seen many <img width="267" height="200" title="Barr Lake and local wildlife" align="right" alt="Barr Lake and local wildlife" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Barr%20Lake-1%20lake%20and%20wildlife.jpg" border="0">evolutions in the last 130 years. Today, it is known state-wide as one of the best birding landscapes with over 370 bird species identified. If you’ve ever flown into or out of Denver International Airport you would likely capture a glimpse of the three-square mile body of water. At 1,900 acres, Barr Lake comprises seventy percent of the 2,700-acre State Park. Located 27 miles north of Denver in Brighton, Colorado, Barr Lake is used</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">today for irrigation, drinking water, and recreation. Major recreational activities include hunting, fishing, birding, biking, hiking, picnicking, and nature studies.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;<img width="463" height="600" title="" style="width: 463px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Barr%20Lake%20map-2.jpg" border="0"></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Barr Lake is approximately nine miles around with depths near thirty-five feet. At 2.7 miles long and 1.7 miles wide, much of the southern periphery maintains wallows and flooded cottonwood trees. The lake is divided in half with the north-side dedicated as a recreational area and the south-side designated as a wildlife refuge. The lake is fed by the South Platte River. Barr Lake feeds several canals to support irrigation for agriculture in the surrounding area, the most notable are the Denver and Hudson Canals. Milton reservoir is located north of Hudson and is also fed by the South Platte River.&nbsp; There is a ditch, Beebe Canal, that connects Barr Lake to Milton Reservoir.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Before it was a lake, the area was an extensive wallow. The area was lush with vegetation and supported migrating species. Since the Ice-Age, millions of free-ranging bison migrated through these areas. It wasn’t until 1876 during the American westward expansion that their numbers were nearly eradicated. During this time, cowboys rounded up Spanish steer and drove them along the Goodnight-Loving Trail from Texas to Wyoming through the wallows.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><img title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Barr%20Lake%20hudson%20canal-3.jpg" border="0"></font></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><em>Construction of the Denver-Hudson Canal</em></font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">The railroads accelerated western expansion and transformed the western landscape into opportunities and dreams. The Barr Depot was established in 1881 bringing settlers, tourists, and entrepreneurs. In 1891, the Denver Reservoir and Irrigation Company inundated the wallows from the South Platte River to create Oasis Reservoir. The newly formed reservoir attracted the affluent from Denver. In 1896, the Oasis Hunting Club was formed and offered “city-dwellers the opportunity to rusticate in the great outdoors.” With great expectations developers tried to create Barr City. However, with the closure of the railroad depot in 1931, a second city for Denver never came to fruition.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Barr Lake was officially created to meet the increasing water demands for a rapidly growing state, the Farmer’s Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) inundated the reservoir for the second time in 1908. It was boasted the reservoir could irrigate 25,000 acres annually.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Due to seventy years of abuse and diversion of waste water from the South Platte River, the Denver Stockyards, and the sewage treatment plant, Barr Lake needed another transformation. In 1964, the Colorado legislature proclaimed Barr Lake a “menace to health, safety and welfare.” The same year, Metro Wastewater was upgraded and relocated to its current location on York Street. To protect the natural resources, Barr Lake became a state park in 1977.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">“On June 16, 1965, a powerful storm swelled the waters of the South Platte. Raging water rushed down the irrigation canals and into Barr Lake, effectively flushing the sewage from the lake. This natural disaster afforded Barr Lake a chance for renewal. Recognizing the need to prevent pollution of this revitalized landscape, Colorado State Parks created Barr lake State Park in 1977. Then, as now, it is preserved as ‘an island of habitat in a sea of urban development.’” (quote taken form Barr Lake State Park pamphlet)</font></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;"><img width="534" height="401" title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Barr%20Lake%20birding-4.jpg" border="0"></font></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;"><em>Birding at Barr Lake</em></font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Barr Lake is co-managed for irrigation/drinking water and recreation. The reservoir is overseen by FRICO and the Denver-Hudson Canal is overseen by the Henrylyn Irrigation District. Each company owns and operates the respective land and water within. Water quality monitoring is conducted regularly by Barr Lake &amp; Milton Reservoir Watershed Association.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p align="center"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Barr Lake Timeline<br>
(provided by Barr Lake &amp; Milton Reservoir Watershed Association, 2007)</font></p>
<blockquote style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr">
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1890’s&nbsp;&nbsp; –Oasis Reservoir used for Recreation &amp; Irrigation</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1900’s&nbsp;&nbsp; –Doubled in Size and Renamed by FRICO</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1950’s&nbsp;&nbsp; –Water Quality at its Worst</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1964&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –Metro Wastewater Upgraded and Relocated</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1978&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –Barr Lake State Park &amp; Wildlife Refuge</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">1994&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –FRICO Started Monitoring Regularly</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">2002&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –303(d) Listed for High pH</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">2004&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –Domestic Water Supply Use Added</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 20px;"><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">2006&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –20<sup>th</sup> Year for Nesting Bald Eagles</font></p>
<p><font color="#0C93CA" face="Calibri">2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; –Awarded People's Choice​&nbsp;"2016&nbsp;Business of the Year" by Brighton Chamber of Commerce</font></p>
</blockquote>
<p><img width="534" height="356" title="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Barr%20Lake%20sunset-5.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;<font style="text-align: center; font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Sunset at Barr Lake by Bernie Ernie Jr.</font></font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><font color="#0000FF" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 12px;">Gerald Gaper earned a masters and doctoral degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. With fourteen years of laboratory experience, Gerald’s early focus utilized analytical instrumentation to identify and characterize chemical compounds in water, bacteria, and on surfaces. Gerald worked on a variety of research projects for the pharmaceutical and academic sector, including Colorado State University. Over the last four years Gerald served the Denver Zoological Foundation as a Chemical Process Engineer and a Water Systems Manager overseeing the operations of pump stations and small water treatment facilities. Gerald managed the operations of a water quality laboratory while creating a development program for employees and an operational framework for the department.</font></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><font color="#0000FF" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 12px;">Gerald lives next to the open space in Westminster and enjoys spending time with his wife and three dogs. In his free time, he works on a 1972 F250 Highboy 4x4 truck and volunteers in the local community. He serves as a volunteer designing exhibits for the Evergreen Autobahn Society, garbage cleanup of waterways for the City of Westminster Open Space, dog walker for City of Aurora Animal Shelter, and photographer for the Kawasaki Kids Foundation. He is the Vice President of Education for Toastmaster International, Lafayette Chapter. Gerald serves as a member of the RMWQAA Education Subcommittee designing presentations and writing newsletters.</font></em></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6289600
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6289600Natalie LoveThu, 03 May 2018 03:45:13 GMTSpawning Time<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">Spring is in the air and it’s time to spawn!&nbsp; Each year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) <img width="267" height="150" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/WebDesignStuff/Spawning%20-1.jpg" border="0">employees aid in the spawning process for millions of fish at reservoirs across the state. These reservoirs are used for sport fishing and recreation and are home to brown trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout, and walleye.&nbsp; Human intervention in the spawning process help to manage and maintain populations. &nbsp;Local walleye spawning happens at Cherry Creek Reservoir, Chatfield Reservoir, and Pueblo Reservoir.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">A few Metro Wastewater employees were able to volunteer to help with CPW’s efforts in March.&nbsp; Here’s how things went:</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif"><img width="188" height="332" title="" align="left" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Spawning%20-2.jpg" border="0">I spent a nice sunny day at Cherry Creek with five CPW employees who work all over the state but come to Denver for the “Walleye Spawn” each year.&nbsp; First, we rode out on a pontoon boat and collected 11 gill nets that were set the previous day.&nbsp; These very long nets (6ft x ~400 meters each) have relatively big holes which are designed to selectively collect larger fish. Large fish like gizzard shad and white suckers get stuck in the nets.&nbsp; We found them, handpicked them out and threw them back.&nbsp; Things are different when a walleye is reeled in.&nbsp; The walleye is carefully removed from the net and placed in the boat’s holding tank.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">After a few hours of net pulling, we transported the walleye back to holding tanks on a floating barge where the spawning process happens.&nbsp; The fish are separated into male/female batches.&nbsp; Next, the females are segregated into “ripe” and “not ripe” batches according to how ready they are to release their eggs.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">The ripe females are assisted by a firm, but careful, smooth squeezing process on their bellies (similar to a deep tissue massage) to release as many eggs as possible into a tub. &nbsp;A similar process happens with the males to combine their sperm or “milt” with the eggs.&nbsp; A clay-mud solution is prepared and added to the mixture to help prevent clumping and allow for efficient fertilization.&nbsp; Each tub is carefully hand-stirred for 90 seconds with a goose feather to avoid damaging the eggs.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">The spawning process is time sensitive.&nbsp; If left too long, the eggs harden and clump together quickly; preventing fertilization.&nbsp; To add to the time crunch, a released egg only accepts sperm for a limited time.&nbsp; After fully mixed, the fertilized eggs are carefully rinsed to remove the mud and placed in a holding tank for a one-hour incubation period.&nbsp; After incubation, the fertilized eggs are transported, in this case, to the CPW fish hatchery in Wray, CO.&nbsp;In the wild, the fertilized eggs normally land on rocks and incubate, but some reservoirs have more sand and silt furthering hindering success.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">The spent walleye are then put in large holding tanks in the belly of the boat with flowing <img width="176" height="314" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Spawning%20-3.jpg" border="0">lake water until they can be individually measured, weighed, and scanned for fish PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags. &nbsp;Fish that need tags are injected with a tiny PIT tag, similar to the microchips put in your cat or dog, and released back into the reservoir. &nbsp;These tags allow for tracking and data collection each year.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif">Spawning lasts around 3-4 weeks with an average of 35 spawns per day. The statewide goal is to collect over 130 million eggs to spawn for re-populating the state’s lakes.&nbsp;&nbsp; Spawning methods vary depending on species, location and conditions. CPW operates 19 fish hatcheries around the state.&nbsp; If you are interested in volunteering for Walleye Spawn or another event, go to</font> <a href="http://cpw.state.co.us/"><font color="#0563C1" face="Arial,sans-serif">http://cpw.state.co.us/</font></a> <font face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;and sign up as a volunteer.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><font color="#0000FF" style="font-size: 13px;">Michelle Neilson, Water Quality Technician, has been with Metro Wastewater for 8.5 years.&nbsp; She has a B.S. in Chemistry, and has 19 years of experience in the Environmental field.&nbsp; Michelle has worked for USGS, contract laboratories, and several municipal wastewater and drinking water labs prior to Metro Wastewater.</font></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6130679
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6130679Natalie LoveWed, 18 Apr 2018 19:10:56 GMT2018 Annual Symposium<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri"><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/GameRoomPool.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="154" align="left" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/GameRoomPool.jpg" border="1"></a>The 2018 Annual Symposium was held on Friday, April 13<sup>th</sup> at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park. We are happy to announce that we had a great turnout of vendors and RMWQAA members alike. To “pregame” the event there were a number of people who showed up to stay at the hotel the night before the event. The hotel offered access to a game-room room furnished with multiple interactive games like pool, foosball, jumbo-jenga, and air-hockey. Those who rented a room the night before were able to socialize and enjoy the fun offerings that the Ridgeline presented.&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><img width="267" height="356" align="right" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 267px; height: 366px;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/Jumbo-Jenga.jpg" border="1"></p>
<p align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">On the morning of the event, everyone was able to check into the conference where they were provided a tasty breakfast offering various pastries, fruits, juices, and more. Additionally, the RMWQAA handed out free flash-drives this year as well as a limited number of RMWQAA water bottles. As attendees filtered into the beautiful conference hall, they encountered the traditional perimeter ring of our wonderful participating vendors who boasted their wares and services as well as a myriad of intriguing handouts and useful swag.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">With everyone seated, sipping coffees, and perusing the candies splayed out across their tables, we launched the conference with two complementary talks regarding corrosion control (Christina Ankrom; Parker W&amp;SD) and treatment strategies (Jacqueline Rhoades; Hazen &amp; Sawyer). These talks were followed up by a presentation from the always-informative David Dani (CDPHE) regarding turbidity BMPs and log inactivation data.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri"><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/Stephen%20Periodic%20Socks.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="325" align="left" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/Stephen%20Periodic%20Socks.jpg" border="1"></a>At this point we took a break to visit with our vendor friends, nibble on fresh supplies of hummus and pita breads, and raffle off a few prizes to a few lucky attendees (I won a gift card to Old Chicago’s!). We returned to hear an interesting talk describing the process of Jar Testing with Organics monitoring from the soft-spoken Amanda Scott (Suez). To wrap up before our lunch break, Randi Brazeau from MSU gave us a glimpse into a number of studies her students are undertaking to review ecological impacts of the Gold King Mine Spill, now two years after the spill.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">After lunching on an Asian style lunch buffet followed by pies and cakes for dessert, we returned to the conference hall where we had our vendors to introduce themselves and their companies individually and raffle off a few lovely prizes, ranging from bottles of wine to gift cards to Rockies tickets. After the vendors made their announcements to the crowd we raffled off a few gifts of our own (including a pair of quirky periodic table socks), and then came time to announce the 2018 Analyst of the Year.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri"><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/ZachDAotY2018.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="356" align="right" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 267px;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/ZachDAotY2018.jpg" border="1"></a>It is with great pleasure that I announce that I, Zach Dahlgren, was humbled and grateful to receive this respected award and join the esteemed company of those who have won it before me. I want to give a shout out to Mike Schoenberg and Tyler Eldridge with the City of Greeley for nominating me, and I’d like &nbsp;to thank the RMWQAA Board for selecting me as this year’s recipient as Analyst of the Year. Thank you all!</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">As we neared the end of the Symposium, we held our Annual RMWQAA Business Meeting. At this time, we recapped the numerous social, educational, and informative events that the RMWQAA and Lab Practices Committee hosted over the last year. We also gave a look into upcoming opportunities for leisure and learning. Natalie Love ran through a number of accomplishments and tasks that the Education Sub-Committee is engaging, as well as a couple of announcements delving into a recently launched MDL Study and the anticipated development of the <a href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/Exam-Certification-Board">Exam Certification Board</a>. More information on these topics will be delivered via email, or can be found follow their respective links.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="justify"><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/LindieAlexiRich.jpg" target="_blank"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri"><img width="400" height="300" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2018%20Symposium/LindieAlexiRich.jpg" border="1"></font></font></a></p>
<p align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">Finally, we were delighted to close out our symposium with an inspirational and passionate presentation regarding the 3s’ of Climate Change (Simple, Serious, Solvable) by the well-respected Scott Denning (CSU Atmospheric Sciences). As Scott wrapped up his riveting speech, we raffled off our grand prize, said our goodbyes, and dispersed back into the world.</font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font face="Calibri">If you were unable to make this year’s Symposium, we encourage you to try to take time and attend next year’s conference. Details on the when and where of that event to come. Otherwise, check our events page for upcoming chances to learn, laugh, and be a lab nerd!</font></font></p>
<div align="justify"></div>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6109550
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/6109550Tyler EldridgeSun, 04 Mar 2018 04:40:34 GMTMaking a Difference in the Community – Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair<p><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">As water professionals, our passion for water began somewhere. In our busy careers we may forget that we are all in the water industry for the same reason: our passion for water; and someone, somewhere—whether we remember it or not— instilled in us this passion.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">In the K-12 school system, riddled with pressures of <img width="267" height="178" title="" align="right" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 8px; width: 300px; height: 212px;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/science%20fair-1.jpg" border="0">standardized tests and now safety concerns, students in the Denver Metro Region get to take a break and just enjoy science for one day. On February 16, 2018, upwards of 280 middle and high school students came together to showcase their science experiments at the annual Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair. More importantly, over 200 professionals volunteered at the Fair to encourage student’s passion for water. Water professionals served as judges to grant special awards to students ranging from scholarships, cash, and all-expense paid trips to national competitions.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,serif" style="font-size: 16px;">This year at the Fair, students received over 10 water-related special awards. Top prizes and recognitions were awarded to students with innovative solutions to some of the nation’s toughest water issues. Examples of 2018 water-related award winners listed below demonstrates the complexity of projects showcased at the Fair.</font></p>
<form>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><u>Award Winners</u></strong>:</font></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div>
<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association Award: Emma Schmit, 9<sup>th</sup> Grade, SkyView Academy: The Effects of Magnetism and Algae on Energy Output</font>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>
<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association Award: Gitanjali Rao, 7<sup>th</sup> Grade, STEM School Highlands Ranch: Detection of Chemical Contaminants in Water using Carbon Nanotube Sensors</font>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>
<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Stormwater Permittees for Local Awareness of Stream Health Award: Ester Mohamed, 8<sup>th</sup> Grade, Crescent View Academy: What do Humans do to Produce Algae?</font>
</div>
</li>
<li>
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<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Cherry Creek Basin Water Authority: Shreyas Sriram, 8<sup>th</sup> Grade, Challenge School: Using Artificial Intelligence And Raspberry Pi To Monitor And Conserve Household Water Usage</font>
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<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Stockholm Junior Water Prize Winners:</font>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">--Zach Chapman, 10<sup>th</sup> Grade, Cherry Creek High School: Cost Effectiveness of Using Sn3O4 as a Water-Splitting Photocatalyst for Solar Energy Collection<br>
<font style="font-size: 16px;">--Gabriel Lorenz, 9<sup>th</sup> Grade, SkyView Academy: Testing How Mangroves Grown in Sand, Silt, and Pebbles Stop Damage from Hurricane Waves&nbsp;</font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">The future of water quality is apparent in these young scientists’ projects. It is important to foster young scientists’ passion for water because these students will be solving our upcoming water issues.</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,serif" style="font-size: 16px;">To volunteer for upcoming Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association/Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association outreach and education events or to sponsor an award at the 2019 Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair contact Jojo La at <a href="mailto:msjojola@gmail.com"><font color="#0563C1" face="Times New Roman">msjojola@gmail.com</font></a>.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#134B7B" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 16px;">Jojo La is an environmental engineer in the fields of water resources planning and development, water quality, environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and public policy issues related to water resources and the management of natural resources. She assists public and private sector clients with Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act compliance including discharge permits, water quality monitoring, 401 certifications, and Section 404 permits.</font></p>
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http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5887978Natalie LoveMon, 12 Feb 2018 01:58:51 GMTWater Quality Staff Keep a Close Eye on Standley Lake<p><font face="Calibri">Algae is the enemy and these two warriors have the tools and the talent to help the city tackle it. Laboratory Analysts Eric Scott and Trea Nance head out on Standley Lake about every two weeks to take measurements, check equipment, and investigate the water quality of Standley Lake and the creeks that flow into it.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">Standley Lake, the primary source of drinking water for the city, holds about 14 billion gallons of water, or a year’s supply of drinking water for the city.&nbsp; With water constantly flowing in and out of the lake, the water quality needs to be checked almost constantly. Water quality data is transmitted via the anchored testing station, but Scott and Nance also head out on a pontoon boat and check the water themselves.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">"The testing station in the middle of the lake is constantly monitoring water quality levels,” said Scott. “However, we head out to get backup measurements and gather water samples for ourselves and other government entities.”</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">Their primary tool for evaluating the lake water is an EXO2 Sonde. It has sensors that measure the cloudiness of the water (turbidity), salt and inorganic material content (conductivity), gaseous oxygen (dissolved oxygen) and algae content (chlorophyll). One Sonde is stationed at the anchored testing station and Scott brings another to check water quality measurements at certain depth intervals in the lake.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">“Algae is important in lakes because it adds oxygen to the water, however, too much algae creates an ‘algae bloom’ which we need to manage via our water treatment systems before it gets into the drinking water,” said Scott.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">The other tool they bring along on their trips is a Van Dorn water sampler.&nbsp; The Van Dorn is a water bottle designed for sampling open water at a specific depth.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">“I drop the Van Dorn into the lake and lower it to our chosen depth,” said Nance. “When it’s where I want samples, I let go of the drop weight and it snaps shut, thus gathering water at say 20 meters.”</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">The water is brought up and then portioned out into several sampling bottles for evaluation and dissemination to other cities who take drinking water from the lake, such as the city of Thornton.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">Another part of their jaunts into the lake is to check the Sonde and battery at the anchored station. They change out and recharge the battery every trip. They clean muck off the Sonde’s sensors…and clean off any bird poop or the remains of animals consumed by an eagle or owl left on the station.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">After getting back to the office, Scott and Nance work with water quality staff at Semper Water Treatment facility evaluating the data received from the Sonde and the Van Dorn.&nbsp; Scott then sends out email to staff and interested parties detailing the results.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">Another fun part of the email that Scott sends out are photos he has taken out on the lake.&nbsp; From panoramic scenic shots to up-close photos of geese and ducks, Scott has a photographer’s eye for capturing life out on Standley Lake.</font></p>
<p><img width="534" height="194" title="" style="margin: 8px;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Blog%20Pictures/Eldorado%20Clouds-Oct-2017_1.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Westminster residents have some of the safest and best tasting water in the region and we have Scott, Nance and all the staff at Westminster’s Department of Public Works and Utilities.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#0C93CA" style="font-size: 14px;">Jonathan Thornton is the&nbsp;Communications and Outreach Coordinator at the City of Westminster</font></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5732407
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5732407Natalie LoveFri, 05 Jan 2018 15:29:43 GMTJanuary 2018 - Electrofishing in the South Platte River<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">As part of ongoing biomonitoring, scientists from Metro W<img width="267" height="200" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Electrofishing%201.jpg" border="0">astewater participate in an annual electrofishing program.&nbsp; This monitoring program began in 1986 and there are currently thirteen sites spread over a forty-mile stretch of the South Platte River.&nbsp; The same sites are sampled annually in the fall to compare historical data and change over time.&nbsp; The main purpose of the program is to gather information on the species, size, quantity, weight, and health of the fish in Segment 15 of the South Platte River.&nbsp; Various entities, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), use the data for river assessment studies, resegmentation, and habitat and aquatic life preservation projects.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">CDPHE’s Water Quality</font> <font face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Control Commission sets regulations to control surface water quality.&nbsp; Regulation 38 establishes classifications and numeric standards for four rivers including the South Platte River and its tributaries.&nbsp; Each river segment is assigned a stream classification, which may contain up to four designated uses including Aquatic Life, Recreation, Water Supply, and Agriculture.&nbsp; Each combination of designations comes with ranges and standards for temperature, nutrients, and other parameters designed to protect these uses and meet the goals of the Clean Water Act ensuring every river segment is fishable and swimmable.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) does regular fish surveys in the upper South Platte River drainage around the same time.&nbsp; CPW and Metro sometimes survey at different times of the year for a specific study or construction project.&nbsp; &nbsp;The National Park Service in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service surveys National Parks (like RMNP) rivers and creeks every year as well. Consultants may be hired to conduct fish surveys when projects take place in or near a body of water, such a building a bridge over a river, or destroying a pond for a parking lot.&nbsp; For example, GEI Consultants performs surveys for clients all over the Western US using bank shockers (like MWRD) and backpack shockers. Some dischargers in South Dakota and Idaho are required by their states to monitor the instream fish populations, so they monitor upstream and downstream for fish, bugs, and habitat. Some participating entities have long-term data sets for some rivers going back 20 years, which is valuable information when observing the transitions of fish populations over time through weather events and flood years. Graduate students and researchers may also perform fish surveys as needed.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">An electrofishing day begins by taking flow measurements.&nbsp; The river flow m<img width="151" height="266" title="" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Electrofishing%202.jpg" border="0">ust be below 300 cfs (cubic feet/second) on sampling days for safety concerns and accordingly, the flow is slow enough to successfully catch the fish once they are stunned.&nbsp;&nbsp; Flags are placed along a 100-meter reach of the river to mark the sampling zone.&nbsp; Two or three electrodes are connected together by power cords and held by members of the crew in the river.&nbsp; These electrodes are on poles with a circular ring that is dipped into the water the entire time. &nbsp;The electrodes are connected to a generator sitting in the back of a truck parked on the bank that is also attached to a cathode in the water to complete the circuit.&nbsp; About 3-4 amps of alternating current hits the fish within about a 6-foot diameter area in the water.&nbsp; The current temporarily paralyzes the fish much like a stun gun, thus making them easy to catch with nets.&nbsp; Alternating current is used because it causes the least amount of harm to the fish and actually draws them towards the electrode so they do not float away too fast.&nbsp; The amount of current will vary depending on the size of the river, flow, and conductivity levels of the water.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Crewmembers wear waders to keep them dry and to separate themselves from the current in the water.&nbsp; They should still use caution.&nbsp; If the electrodes are in the water and an analyst touches the water directly, they get a shock.&nbsp; Depending on their proximity to the electrode itself, they could feel as little as a slight tingle or as much as a good wake up jolt.&nbsp; Serious damage could occur if the electrode was touched directly, but alternating current does offer some protection.&nbsp; Analysts also watch for frogs, turtles, crawfish or other critters and try to remove them from the electrode path to save them the trauma of being unnecessarily shocked.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">The crew zigzags back and forth across the sample reach about 30 times to cover the entire area from bank to bank.&nbsp; As fish are netted, they are taken to coolers of water on the banks while they recover and wait until the process is complete.&nbsp; The cooler keeps the water temperature cool and closer to the temperature of their natural habitat.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><img width="267" height="177" title="" align="left" style="margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px;" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Electrofishing%203.jpg" border="0">Once the shocking and collection process is complete, the counting begins.&nbsp; The fish caught typically range in size from about an inch or two to a foot long, with an occasional larger fish.&nbsp; Some sites have been known to house the occasional 2-foot long carp.&nbsp; A total of 29 different fish species have been counted by Metro in the South Platte over the years including the typical yield of Fathead Minnow, White Sucker, Largemouth Bass, Johnny Darter, Green Sunfish, Longnose Dace, and Sand Shiner. Each fish is measured in millimeters on a fish board, weighed in grams, and identified per species.&nbsp; Any unusual wellness indicators may also be noted during the counting process.&nbsp; Then the fish go back into the river unharmed, although a little confused.&nbsp;<em>(Similar to an alien abduction).</em>&nbsp; All the data is logged and compiled into a database for a variety of future uses.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri"><font color="#0000FF">Michelle Neilson, Water Quality Technician, has been with Metro Wastewater for 8.5 years.&nbsp; She has a B.S. in Chemistry, and has 19 years of experience in the Environmental field.&nbsp; Michelle has worked for USGS, contract laboratories, and several municipal wastewater and drinking water labs prior to Metro Wastewater.</font></font></p>
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http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5663361Natalie LoveThu, 07 Dec 2017 04:12:13 GMTDecember 2017 - If It’s Fall It Must Be Conference Season<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">When the leaves start turning colors in beautiful Colorado, it’s the signal of what is called the “shoulder” season. Shoulder season is that time when Summer and Winter vacation destination locations try to attract visitors, and offer discounted rates to convention organizers.&nbsp; September and October are chalk full of industry conferences in Colorado and across the country.&nbsp; This year was no exception.&nbsp; I ended up crisscrossing the country for no less than 5 conferences in a period of 5 weeks.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">First up was the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association/Rocky Mountain Section of American Water Works Association Joint Annual Conference (now there’s a mouth full!) in Loveland, CO.&nbsp; This year saw the largest attendance ever at a JAC.&nbsp; For those that have never had the opportunity to attend before, it is a chance to meet industry professionals from throughout Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming in both the water and wastewater professions.&nbsp; Operators, engineers, and of course laboratory professionals all gathered for 3 days and 165 technical sessions on that one thing that we all share a passion for; water, in all its glorious forms.&nbsp; This year’s conference began with an exceptional Keynote talk by Charlie Lundquist, Deputy Manager of NASA’s Orion Program.&nbsp; One of the highlights of every annual conference is the annual Toilet Trivia Bowl Contest, hosted by our very own Blair Corning (yes, once ours, always ours), otherwise known as SewerDude.&nbsp; Topics covered such things as WTF, Rhymes with Water, and Movies about Water.&nbsp; There was a fantastic track of Laboratory talks this year covering many aspects of the analytical lab.&nbsp; They attracted standing room only crowds for many of the discussions.&nbsp; Tuesday night was the awards dinner, where Ms. Natalie Love received the prestigious Water Environment Federation, Laboratory Professional Excellence Award.&nbsp; Congratulations Natalie!&nbsp; The award was well deserved, and thank you for all that you do for the Colorado lab community.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Next was the Special Districts Association (SDA) Conference in Keystone.&nbsp; A wonderful conference in the mountains of colorful Colorado during early Fall.&nbsp; There is no more beautiful place to attend a 3 day gathering of Fire Protection, Parks &amp; Rec, and Sanitation professionals.&nbsp; There were numerous technical sessions on issues that are unique to special districts, in law, community relations, politics, and management.&nbsp; All of the Keynote speakers were fantastic!&nbsp; The running theme for each of their talks was valuing employees.&nbsp; There was something to take home from each of the talks that can be applied in all of our jobs.&nbsp; The most poignant for me this year though was “You have to be present to Win”.&nbsp; You can’t just “mail it in” and hope for success.&nbsp; You have to show up every day, be present, and participate, whether an Analyst or Manager, to reap the benefits of team success.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">WEFTEC, a gathering of over 22,000 leading professionals in the wastewater industry from around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This year’s gathering occurred in Chicago in early October.&nbsp; A very large conference by any standard.&nbsp; So large it can only be held in cities that have very large convention centers.&nbsp; Generally, WEFTEC alternates between Chicago and New Orleans.&nbsp; There were over 500 technical sessions covering every conceivable wastewater topic.&nbsp; The plethora of topics covering new and innovating technologies is mesmerizing.&nbsp; I found myself being drawn to over 12 different technical sessions on peracetic acid disinfection alone.&nbsp; Besides all of the tremendous talks, there were over 3.5 miles of vendor booths to see on the exhibition floor, which included many representing lab equipment, and in-line instrumentation.&nbsp; An annual highlight is the OPS Challenge, where over 60 teams compete nationally for prestigious awards in 5 different categories, one of which is a laboratory event.&nbsp; The teams practice all year long for this competition.&nbsp; Colorado was well represented this with 2 teams from Metro Wastewater Reclamation District and 1 team from Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant.&nbsp; Both Metro and L/E have been National champions in the past.&nbsp; Some members of our organization have even competed on these teams.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">Off to LA.&nbsp; So the forth conference wasn’t for work.&nbsp; It was the 31<sup>st</sup> Annual National Hot Wheels Convention.&nbsp; Yes, there really is one, and yes it really was the 31<sup>st</sup> annual.&nbsp; There were over 1500 hobby enthusiasts in attendance.&nbsp; I am not going to bore everyone with the rest of the details, except to say, find your passion and play hard!&nbsp; Finding your balance outside of work allows one to grow in every aspect, the yin and yang of life.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" style="font-size: 16px;">So to that end, I rented a sports car and drove down the coast to San Diego for the Association of Lab Managers (ALMA) conference.&nbsp; This is a conference that I have not attended often.&nbsp; When I had attended in the past, I found that most in attendance were from research and pharmaceutical labs.&nbsp; I was pleasantly surprised this year.&nbsp; Over half in attendance were from environmental labs.&nbsp; It was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues facing similar issues and discuss new and innovative ways for managing today’s laboratory.&nbsp; The focus being on managing our most valuable asset; people.&nbsp; There were many half day seminars that provided refreshing ideas on managing the multi-generations that occupy today’s lab.&nbsp; I highly recommend this conference to any lab supervisor that has a chance to attend in the future, but if you go, be sure to attend the workshops prior to the actual conference.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Well that was my Fall.&nbsp; I’m tired, and ready for a long Winter’s nap!&nbsp; March and PittCon in Orlando will be here before you know it!</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#010C0E"><font size="2">Kevin Feeley, B.S. Biology, M.B.A, is the Chief of Analytical Services and has been&nbsp;employed with Metro Wastewater Reclamation District for 27 years.&nbsp;Mr. Feeley&nbsp;is the&nbsp;former Chair of the RMWEA Lab Practices Committee, a RMWQAA board participant, and on the&nbsp;Red Rocks Water Quality Program Advisory Board.&nbsp;Outside of the water and wastewater world,&nbsp;Kevin holds a&nbsp;2</font><sup data-wacopycontent="1"><font size="1">nd</font></sup> <font size="2">degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is the owner of 25,000+ Hot Wheels cars.</font></font></font></font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5616245
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5616245Natalie LoveThu, 02 Nov 2017 16:36:39 GMTNovember 2017 - The Colorado Water Plan<p><font face="Calibri">What’s my role in the Colorado Water Plan?</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">By Hope Dalton</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">In May 2013, Governor Hickenlooper requested the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) work with stakeholders to create a plan for managing water collaboratively to meet the demand for growing water needs for agricultural, industrial, recreational, and municipal uses.&nbsp; In 2015, the CWCB released the Colorado Water Plan.&nbsp; Chapter 7 of the Colorado Water examines factors beyond water supply and demand; factors that affect water availability such as natural hazards, watershed health, and water quality.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">The Colorado Water Plan established a measurable goal to create Stream Management Plans for 80% of the rivers and streams in Colorado and to create Watershed Protection Plans for 80% of critical watershed by 2030.&nbsp;&nbsp; These plans will address a variety of concerns, including pre- and post-fire mitigation, forest mortality, water quality impairments, potential impacts of legacy mines, flood mitigation and recovery, aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement, and land use changes.&nbsp; The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC), regulatory body that develops water quality policies and regulations for surface water and groundwater, will assist in this goal by setting a strategic water quality objective to have fully supported classified uses by 2050.&nbsp; These classified uses may including drinking water, agriculture, recreation, aquatic life, and wetlands.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">CWCB’s Colorado Watershed Restoration Grant Program will set aside grant funding to support the creation of Stream Management Plans and Watershed Protection Plans. Both of these plans will have a water quality component.&nbsp; Some have developed a database of existing water quality data as well as reviewing the data to disseminate information, identify trends, and identify gaps or shortfalls in the data.&nbsp; The plans also review the water quality data with the water quantity data to determine strategic locations for stream and wetland enhancement, stream/river restoration, and actions to take to reach water quality and aquatic life goals.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">As stakeholders gather to create these protection plans to reach Colorado’s goal by 2030, you may participate as a stakeholder, a data provider, a data analyst, or a writer/reviewer.&nbsp; If you work for a regulated entity, you may also be participating in stakeholder groups working to provide the science for future WQCC regulatory hearings where policy decisions will be made to fully support classified uses by 2050.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri">References:</font></p>
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<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">Colorado’s Water Plan</font> <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cowaterplan/plan"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cowaterplan/plan</font></a></li>
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<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">Water Quality Control Commission</font> <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wqcc"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wqcc</font></a></li>
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<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">CWCB Colorado Watershed Restoration Grants</font> <a href="http://cwcb.state.co.us/LoansGrants/colorado-watershed-restoration-grants/Pages/main.aspx"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">http://cwcb.state.co.us/LoansGrants/colorado-watershed-restoration-grants/Pages/main.aspx</font></a></li>
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<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">Steamboat Springs Stream Management Plan Proposed Scope of Work</font> <a href="http://www.co.routt.co.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/5034?fileID=4370"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">http://www.co.routt.co.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/5034?fileID=4370</font></a></li>
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<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">Friends of the Yampa’s Yampa River Management Plan</font> <a href="http://friendsoftheyampa.com/yampa-river-management-plan/"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">http://friendsoftheyampa.com/yampa-river-management-plan/</font></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">A Guide to Colorado Programs for Water Quality Management and Safe Drinking Water, Commission Policy #98-2, Updated August 2013, Expiration Date December 31, 2018</font> <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/A-Guide-To-Colorado-Programs.pdf"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/A-Guide-To-Colorado-Programs.pdf</font></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font face="Calibri">Section 303(d) Listing Methodology 2018 Listing Cycle</font> <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/303d_LM_2018.pdf"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/303d_LM_2018.pdf</font></a></li>
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http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5503694Tyler EldridgeWed, 04 Oct 2017 20:04:01 GMTOctober 2017 - Fatbergs!!!<p align="center"><strong><font face="Times New Roman,serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Octo-berg Newsletter: A “Fatberg” Takes Over a London Sewage System</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,serif">Last month London sewer workers discovered what has quite accurately been dubbed a “fatberg.” Beneath the streets of East London, tucked away in a sewage system too antiquated for the living style of current Londoners, sits a massive congealed fatty mess that is only now on the final steps of removal. Fatbergs aren’t a new phenomenon, they form in pipes and sewers when fats congeal and mesh together with used diapers, wet wipes, tampons and other various flushed items. However, this fatberg made headlines due to its massive 140 ton size spanning the length of 3 football fields, dwarfing the previous largest fatberg by roughly 10 times.</font></p>
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<p><img width="267" height="185" title="" align="left" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Fatberg%20Pic.jpg" border="0">&nbsp;T<font face="Times New Roman,serif">he project was estimated to take 8 workers up to 3 weeks to fully remove from the sewers, by cutting out large concrete-like blocks piece by piece. This particular fatberg may have grown to this size for a number of compounding reasons. Dr. Tom Curran of University College Dublin’s School of Biosystems and Food Engineering sees the growing population of London and its high concentration of restaurants, pubs, and hotels as a “perfect storm for the phenomenon.” He also lends credit to London’s aging sewage system.</font></p>
<p><em><font color="#44546A" face="Calibri">Photo Courtesy of Reuters.com</font></em></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,serif">The sewers of London were built using calcium-rich concrete which creates wastewater with a high calcium content. This causes saponification of the cooking grease in these systems and forms giant masses of cloth and fat.</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Though fatbergs are quite an issue in scenarios such as this massive 140 ton monster, there is the possibility of recycling fatbergs pulled from sewer systems into bio-diesel once the cloth and other contaminants are removed. This is taken a gross step further in some locations in China, where there may be an illicit trade in “gutter oil,” or recycled oil from fatbergs used in the cooking of cheap street food. It is nice to know that the bergs can be recycled into bio-diesel (gutter oil not so much) but fatbergs still remain a problem in many locations. The best way to prevent them comes down to public awareness, informing people that only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilets and any cooking grease and oils should be poured into a separate jar and disposed of in the garbage. This includes restaurants, where many in the U.S. have grease traps to help separate the oil and congealed fats so that they can be further recycled and prevent contamination of sewers.</font></p>
<p><strong><font face="Times New Roman,serif">Rererences:</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">O’Sullivan, F. (2017, September 14) <em>London’s Sewers Are Clogged With Massive Globs of Fat. Here’s Why It’s Hard to Get Rid of Them.</em> Retrieved from</font> <a href="https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/09/why-theres-no-easy-solution-to-fatbergs/539817/"><font color="#0563C1" face="Calibri">https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/09/why-theres-no-easy-solution-to-fatbergs/539817/</font></a></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5295525
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5295525Tyler EldridgeTue, 19 Sep 2017 04:54:19 GMTRMSAWWA/RMWEA Conference - Ops Challenge by Adele Rucker<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">I attended the RMSAWWA Conference this year in Loveland, CO. There were several different tracts for attendees to learn about the latest techniques, technologies, regulation changes, and equipment for the water industry.&nbsp;Before the afternoon sessions began I had the opportunity to watch the Operations Challenge. Coming from a drinking water laboratory we do not get the chance to participate in such fun activities.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">T<font face="Calibri">here were four teams participating: Commode Commandos, Sewerside Squad, Elevated Ops, and Heroic Hites.&nbsp;This particular challenge simulated a break in a line and the challenge was to see which team could successfully repair the break in the shortest time.</font></font></p>
<p><img width="534" height="401" title="" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Adele-1.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#0070C0" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 13px;">Challenge set-up: the background pipe was the one with the “break”, the foreground pipe was used to cut a section for insertion into the broken pipe.</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Calibri">There were a quite a few steps involved in the repair that I have simplified here mostly because of a lack of knowledge of the details.&nbsp;First, the area where the cuts were to be made was measured and marked.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img width="534" height="401" title="" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Adele-2.jpg" border="0">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="center"><font color="#0070C0" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 13px;">Measure twice, cut once!</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">One crew of the team sawed through the pipe with a hand saw (no power tools were used) and the piece of pipe with the leak was removed.&nbsp;At the same time, another crew sawed the new pipe which was to replace the broken piece.</font></p>
<p><img width="534" height="401" title="" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Adele-3.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p><img width="534" height="401" title="" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Adele-4.jpg" border="0"></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">Next, the new piece of pipe was inserted where the break had been removed.&nbsp;The repair was secured with couplers and ring clamps.&nbsp;The final step was clean up, putting away all of the tools back in the tool box.&nbsp;The time was stopped when the entire crew was back in place behind the starting line.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font face="Calibri">As with any competition and teams that have practiced together for a while, they made it look very easy. The teams worked well together and encouraged each other even when they hit snags and speed bumps.&nbsp;The times for the teams to complete the challenge ranged from 2-3 minutes.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri">After watching this challenge I have a new appreciation for our dedicated utility workers who keep everything flowing and flushing as it should.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5267351
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5267351Natalie LoveMon, 21 Aug 2017 19:08:29 GMTAugust of 2017 - Designing a new laboratory<p><strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Designing a new laboratory</font></strong></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">In late 2014, Broomfield embarked on a journey that is finally nearing completion. &nbsp;This journey has lasted almost 3 years. &nbsp;In late 2014, a firm was retained to complete a programming study for the existing wastewater laboratory and administrative facility. &nbsp;The study determined that the existing laboratory space was approximately one-half the size that was typical for the staffing and testing performed at the facility. &nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">The laboratory/administration building was constructed in 1987 to accommodate wastewater operations and laboratory staff. &nbsp;Since then, the wastewater plant has gone through two plant expansions:</font></p>
<ul>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">2001-Due to growth, reclaimed wastewater initiative and more restrictive permit discharge limits, the treatment facility was converted from a secondary treatment technology to a biological nutrient removal with reclaimed wastewater treatment and pumping facility. &nbsp;The capacity was expanded from 5.4 MGD to 8.0 MGD.</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">2007-Due to growth, expanded the biological nutrient removal treatment capacity to 12.0 MGD.</font></li>
</ul>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">However, the laboratory/administration building had never been remodeled. &nbsp;Over the years, additional equipment and personnel were added and counter work space and storage space quickly dwindled when new equipment was purchased and staffing increased to meet new regulatory requirements. &nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">In the summer of 2015, an engineering firm and an architectural firm were chosen. &nbsp;In September, staff attended the kick-off meeting with the engineers and architects. &nbsp;Then a few months later a construction company was hired to review the architectural plans and give an estimate of the costs. &nbsp;In August 2016, the contract was issued to start construction. &nbsp;Due to utility lines having to be relocated actual construction of the new lab didn’t start until early 2017. &nbsp;There were several objectives and requirements for the project. The largest requirement was that lab staff had to be able to continue working in the current lab while the new lab was constructed. &nbsp;This was a challenge because the new laboratory was attached to the current administration/lab building. &nbsp;So, construction crews had to build temporary walls to keep the two sides separate. &nbsp;There were numerous days of dust and loud construction noise, but we remained upbeat because we knew that was the sound of progress.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">There were lots of fun parts with the project. &nbsp;We toured several other labs and got some great ideas from them. &nbsp;We got to pick out new cabinets and countertops. &nbsp;We also got to assist with the layout of the new lab. &nbsp;With the new lab, we were able to design a work area for all of the staff that included their own cubicles outside of the lab. &nbsp;This was a vast improvement because staff had always had their work stations in the lab and were never able to eat or drink at their desks. &nbsp;They also couldn’t escape from the lab noises and smells (not that wastewater is smelly)!</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">So, now it is August 2017 and we are moving into our new lab August 18th. &nbsp;This marks the end of Phase 1 of the project. &nbsp;After all staff and equipment are moved into the new lab area, the current lab and administration building will be demoed and phase 2 will start. &nbsp;In phase 2, the current administration area will be redone with new offices and a new conference room. &nbsp;The men’s bathroom will be enlarged by combining it with the women’s bathroom. &nbsp;A new women’s bathroom was constructed in phase 1. &nbsp;The old laboratory will be remodeled into space for the stormwater and industrial pretreatment staff. &nbsp;Barring too many hurdles, phase 2 is scheduled to be completed on November 17, 2017.</font><font face="Times New Roman,serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><br>
<br>
<a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/New%20Broomfield%20Solids%20Lab.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="534" height="632" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/New%20Broomfield%20Solids%20Lab.jpg" border="0"></a></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">New solids lab</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040426
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040426Tyler EldridgeMon, 21 Aug 2017 18:59:29 GMTJuly of 2017<p><strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">July 5, 2017</font></strong></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p align="center"><strong><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Is Your Lab Ready to Support Nutrient Removal with Quality Data?</font></strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Basic Nutrient removal in a Difficult Matrix</font></strong></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Advances in nutrient removal and recovery seem to be coming at breakneck speed. This is especially true, perhaps, to those of us in a wastewater lab; associated with a treatment facility but not actually on the front lines of treatment. There are many new technologies available, new configurations for aeration basins, new acronyms, new (read lower) permit limits, even ‘new’ microbes. And there is always a new theory to test, a new idea on the horizon. Most of the new ideas and technologies that I hear about are accompanied by a request from the lab for data: more data on what we are currently doing, more data from a new system that is being tested, a sampling campaign to get critical data for a new technology. Flows and returns, diurnal patterns, changes in concentration and speciation of nutrients, It all must be tested, and the data needs to be as good as possible. It all got me thinking about the basics of nutrient removal, and the need for labs to be able to accurately perform analyses on the complicated matrix of aeration basins.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">By basics of nutrient removal, I am referring to traditional biological ammonia removal, in this case in a secondary basin using activated sludge. This is in itself a series of complicated reactions occurring in a complex and delicately balanced system-far from actually being basic!</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Most nitrogen coming into wastewater treatment plants is in the form of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>). Biological removal of ammonia from wastewater involves oxidizing it to nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub>) and nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub>) and then ultimately to elemental Nitrogen gas (N<sub>2</sub>).</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">This is done by first using bacteria known as ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), which are autotrophic chemolithotrophs, and are also obligate aerobes. That is, they can make organic molecules from elements such as sunlight or chemical bonds in their environment, can oxidize inorganic substrates (NH<sub>3</sub> in this case) for energy, use CO<sub>2</sub> for a carbon source, and require an oxygen rich environment. These are also known as Nitrosomas, and they provide the first step in the Nitrification process that converts ammonia to nitrate:</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">2NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> + 3O<sub>2</sub></font> <font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 13px;">--------</font><font color="#000000" face="Wingdings" style="font-size: 13px;">à</font> <font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">2NO<sub>2</sub>- + 2H<sub>2</sub>O + 4H<sup>+</sup> + Biomass&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;(Equation 1)</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">The next step is performed by Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), which convert nitrite to nitrate. These are also autotrophic chemolithotrophs, as well as obligate aerobes. Their source for energy is the inorganic substrate of nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub>):</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">2NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup> + O<sub>2</sub></font> <font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 13px;">--------</font><font color="#000000" face="Wingdings" style="font-size: 13px;">à</font> <font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">2NO<sub>3</sub>- + Biomass&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Equation 2)</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">These two reactions together are known as Nitrification, the process of converting ammonia to nitrate.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Notice that nitrification is a purely aerobic process.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Nitrification in a suspended growth/sludge secondary depends on many factors: pH, Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), the presence of any toxic chemicals, temperature, the COD:TKN ratio, and the fact that nitrifying bacteria are outcompeted by heterotrophic bacteria (bacteria that use organic Carbon, and not CO<sub>2</sub>, for growth). A pH of less than 7 is detrimental to the process of nitrification. Notice how the equation of ammonia oxidation (Equation 1) adds acidity to the basin. This is where alkalinity comes in. In fact, for each gram of ammonia nitrified, 7.2 grams of CaCO<sub>3</sub> alkalinity are required. Each gram of ammonia nitrified also requires 4.6 grams of O<sub>2</sub>. So oxygen must be added constantly, but it must be at a controlled level since adding DO above a level of 3ppm, in general, provides no benefit and is a waste of energy and money. Toxic chemicals reduce nitrification ability, and keeping a secondary basin free from these requires a robust pretreatment program. The COD:TKN ratio is also a factor, as influent loads that are biased higher in organic load (COD) tend to decrease nitrification rates by providing an environment more conducive for aerobic heterotrophs. The slow rate of growth of nitrifiers generally means that activated sludge processes that denitrify have longer sludge retention times (SRT) than ones that only treat for carbon/BOD.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">The process of converting nitrate to nitrogen gas is known as denitrification. Denitrification completes the conversion of ammonia to nitrate to nitrogen gas. Denitrification is also bacterially driven, this time by heterotrophic (get their carbon source from organic sources, not CO<sub>2</sub>), facultative (able to use oxygen or other substrates as terminal electron acceptors) bacteria known as denitrifiers (i.e. Pseudomanas, Thiobacillus denitrificans). Denitrification-in contrast to nitrification-occurs in an anoxic environment (where nitrate is available but oxygen is not). This means that aeration basins must have different zones with different oxygen levels to accommodate the growth of both nitrifiers and denitrifiers.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Denitrification follows the general reaction (which uses methanol as a general source of organic carbon/BOD/food):</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">6NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> + 5CH<sub>3</sub>OH&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <font color="#000000" face="Calibri" style="font-size: 13px;">--------</font><font color="#000000" face="Wingdings" style="font-size: 13px;">à</font> <font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">3N<sub>2 (gas)</sub> + 5CO<sub>2</sub> + 7H<sub>2</sub>O + 6OH<sup>-</sup> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Equation 3)</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">For every 1 gram of nitrate that is converted to dinitrogen gas, 2.9 grams of BOD are consumed and 3.6 grams of alkalinity (as CaCO<sub>3</sub>) are produced. Ideally, operators can configure their basins so that they can take advantage of the alkalinity produced from denitrification to supply some of the alkalinity needed for nitrification. To do this however, denitrification must occur prior to nitrification-another complication.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">There is clearly a lot going on even in this basic example of ammonia removal. To assist plant operators, a lab must be able to provide quality and timely values for pH, ALK, BOD, NH<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub>, COD, TKN, and Temperature, as well as quite possibly the composition and abundance of microbes. Many of these values can be provided via inline instruments now, but even so, the fact that the lab must have accurate analyses of these parameters does not change since the instruments are calibrated to lab values.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Thus it is very important that any lab analyzing activated sludge samples thinks about the difficulties of analyzing this difficult matrix. Bad data causes bad decision making, and an activated sludge is no place for that!</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Here, in no particular order, are some ideas to consider: Do nutrient samples need to be digested/distilled? Do standard hold times even apply in such a biologically active matrix?&nbsp; Does your&nbsp;standard of known concentration&nbsp;actually represent this matrix, or are you using a clean standard that gives a false idea of how well you are doing? Can you spike a mixed liquor sample and get recovery? Are you diluting samples so much that you are raising your&nbsp;method detection limit&nbsp;to the point it is not practically useful? Does the matrix itself cause colorimetric interference? Can you digest and run the same sample twice with comparable results? Can different analysts run the sample with comparable results? Are you&nbsp;pH preserving the sample correctly, or is the alkalinity in the solids in the sample slowly neutralizing acid and raising the pH over time? Is your DO/pH/etc... meter subject to fouling? Are there interferences in the matrix (do reported values increase with dilution)?</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Being able to support basic nutrient removal with quality data is paramount for wastewater labs.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Remember, it only gets more complicated from here!</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><strong><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">References:</font></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">J. Rodziewicz, A. Mielcarek, W. Janczukowicz, and U. Filipkowska. <u>Effect of COD/TKN ratio on the effectiveness of nitrogen compounds</u> <u>transformation in a reactor with immobilized biomass.&nbsp;</u>University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Department of Environment Engineering.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#222222" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">R. Sharma and S. K. Gupta.</font> <font color="#333333" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><u>Influence of Chemical Oxygen Demand/Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Ratio and Sludge Age on Nitrification of Nitrogenous Wastewater.&nbsp;</u></font><em><font color="#222222" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Water Environment Research.</font></em> <font color="#222222" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Vol. 76, No. 2 (Mar. - Apr., 2004), pp. 155-161.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">S. Okabe, Y. Aoi, H. Satoh, and Y. Suwa.&nbsp; 2011. <u>Nitrification in Wastewater Treatment</u>, p 405-433. In&nbsp; B. Ward, D. Arp, and M. Klotz (ed), Nitrification. ASM Press, Washington, DC.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Steve Polson, P.E. Nutrient Removal 101- Process Fundamentals and Operation. JTAC Presentation May 18, 2017 at AWWA Headquarters, Denver, CO.</font></p>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Richard MacAlpine holds an MS in Environmental Science (WQ Emphasis) from CU-Denver, is on the Education Subcommittee of RMWQAA, and has worked in the lab at Metro Wastewater Reclamation District for the last decade plus.</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040403
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040403Tyler EldridgeMon, 21 Aug 2017 18:22:45 GMTJune of 2017 - Recap of the Argo Tunnel tour<p><strong><font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">June 20, 2017</font></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">The Argo Tunnel (Figure 1) was the primary drainage and ore transport tunnel from Nevadaville to Idaho Springs. It was excavated from 1893 and 1910, drained water from several mine workings, and allowed ore carts to be wheeled right up to the Argo Mill next door. Although the tunnel has not been used to transport ore since the 1940s, water still drains through it constantly. The tunnel discharge averages 275 gallons of acidic contaminated water per minute. Approximately 850 pounds of dissolved metals are released from the tunnel each day. The Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Plant began operating in April 1998, treating water from the Argo Tunnel. Flows from the Big Five Tunnel at the west end of Idaho Springs and groundwater from Virginia Canyon were added in 2006 (Figure 2).</font></p>
<p><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20figure1.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20figure1.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure2.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure2.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;<strong>Figure1: Entrance to the Argo Tunnel&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></font><strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;Figure 2:</font></strong> <strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Discharge from Virginia Canyon and</font></strong> <strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Big</font></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font> <strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Five</font></strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;<strong>Tunnel</strong></font></p>
<p></p>
<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">The Argo Tunnel Flow Control Bulkhead (Figure 3) was completed In August 2015 at a cost of approximately $970,000. A pipe runs through the concrete plug so water treatment plant operators can regulate the flow and control water levels inside the mine pool. The tunnel has a history of surge events that released untreated mine water into Clear Creek. The primary contaminants include acidity and a host of heavy metals, including aluminum, copper, iron, manganese and zinc.&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;<a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure5.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure5.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp; <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure6.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure6.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<p><strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Figure 3: Bulkhead&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Figure 4: RMWQAA group inside the tunnel</font></strong></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">After flowing down from the tunnel, the influent accumulates in an equilibration basin (Figure 5) before entering the plant. From there it is mixed with recycled metal hydroxides and hydrated lime until a pH of 9.9 S.U.&nbsp;is achieved. The lime system includes a silo for storage (Figure 6), a slurry mix tank in the enclosure along with the silo, piping from the lime enclosure to the WTP, a day tank within the WTP and diaphragm metering pumps for feeding the lime into the treatment process. Recent upgrades converted the plant’s conventional process to a high-density sludge (HDS) process. The HDS process sends metal hydroxides into a conditioning tank where they are coated with lime and sent back through the system for up to 30 additional treatment cycles. The process is more efficient at removing metals from the water, resulting in denser filter cake and less material sent to landfills.</font></span></p>
<p><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure7.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure7.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure8.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="356" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure8.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<p><strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Figure 5: Equilibration basin&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Figure 6: Lime storage silo</font></strong></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">This mixture is sent to a sludge thickener where the precipitates settle by the force of gravity from the water, and the clarified water flows off the top. A polymer (Figure 7) is added in a low dose to improve settling and filtration performance. The overflow water is polished using a sand filter, and then treated with hydrochloric acid to achieve a discharge pH of approximately 8.5 S.U. (Figure 8). The precipitates are pumped from the bottom of the sludge thickener and then sent to a plate-and-frame filter press. The solid filter cake contains approximately 35-40% solids and passes testing of the Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procedure (TCLP), characterizing it as a nonhazardous waste and is disposed of in a municipal landfill.</font></p>
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<p><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure12.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure12.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure13.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/Argo%20Figure13.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<p><strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Figure 7:&nbsp;&nbsp;Mary Boardman showing polymer system&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Figure 8: Outfall</font></strong></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Special thanks to Mary Boardman with the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment for giving the RMWQAA group the tour!</font></p>
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<p style="line-height: 16px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><strong><font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Lindie&nbsp;Aragon is the Chemist at the City of Westminster's Wastewater Lab. She&nbsp;is the head of the RMWQAA scholarship committee and coordinated the Argo tour.</font></strong> <font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040345
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040345Tyler EldridgeMon, 21 Aug 2017 18:11:06 GMTMay of 2017 - Discussing Chlorophyll a<p><font color="#0000FF"><strong>May 6, 2017&nbsp;</strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">Chlorophyll a. Standard Methods 10200H. EPA 445-447. Straightforward, right? Follow the method, and get the concentration of chlorophyll a in the sample. This seems straightforward, but I would argue, and many other scientists would agree, that it is not straightforward at all.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">Chlorophyll a is a surrogate measurement for algal biomass at the community level, and is often used to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions to a waterbody. Algae incorporate carbon (C), N, P, and other elements, leading to growth, proliferation, and more chlorophyll contained within the waterbody. While this process is fairly definitive, the composition of chlorophyll is not.</font></p>
<p><font face="Helvetica">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">The photosynthetic pigments in freshwater algal cells include the <em>chlorophylls</em> (i.e, a, b, and c), the <em>carotenoids</em> (i.e., carotenes, fucoxanthin, and xanthophylls)<em>,</em> and depending on the type of algae (i.e., cyanophyta and pyrrophyta), can also include <em>phycobiliproteins</em> or <em>bacteriochlorophylls</em> (Kirk 1994, NALMS 2017). Thus, when a lab is asked to measure chlorophyll a in a water sample, how confident are they that the reported concentration is only chlorophyll a, and not all these other components?</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">The basic chlorophyll a methods listed above try to account for the numerous other colorful components of algae (pigments) that could potentially be recognized by the spectrophotometer or fluorimeter which may confound the chlorophyll a concentration. In addition, photosynthetic pigments begin to degrade soon after collection so knowing the quantity of active versus degraded pigments is important. Acidification can account for the degradation of chlorophyll to pheophytin, but how can a lab be certain that the chlorophyll a concentration measured with one method is equivalent to the concentration measured with a different method?</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">The logical answer is a chlorophyll a standard. Chlorophyll a standards are available through a number of sources, but their actual concentration “as chlorophyll a” is not always clear. The standards are typically created through pulverization of spinach, or other chlorophyll-rich leaves, and can be in the form of a solid or liquid. Instructions on how to use the standard are rarely provided, and manufacturers provide little detailed information for their use. &nbsp;Often, these standards do not result in a specific concentration of chlorophyll a, only a concentration of ground spinach leaves. Numerous labs can measure the same “standard”, but who is to say the actual concentration of chlorophyll a?</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">These uncertainties in quality assurance provided the impetus for the Chlorophyll a Round Robin Event conducted by the City of Northglenn in 2015 (Taylor, et al. 2015). The RMWQAA’s concern in this methodology is not unique, as The State of Florida reiterates the same concerns regarding the numerous available methods and the variety of ways the data can be handled in “Applicability of Chlorophyll <em>a</em> Methods” (FLDEP 2011). A total of 11 analytical laboratories participated in the event, each reporting their chlorophyll a result for a laboratory split sample. The “corrected” (i.e. pheophytin correction taken into account) chlorophyll a values ranged from 77.6 to 162 mg/L, while labs reporting uncorrected chlorophyll a had a much larger range from 10.8 to 178.9 mg/L. These results highlight the uncertainty in laboratory and methodological approaches and confounds the true answer.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">While the true concentration remained elusive, the real concern comes in to play when regulatory agencies are making decisions based on these data. Total Maximum Daily Limits (TMDLs) for nutrients are being determined from the chlorophyll a data resulting in more stringent nutrient limits for dischargers to these waterbodies. Thus, the question arises… Are regulatory decisions based on data from comparable chlorophyll a methods, or are different methods being used, potentially skewing the results? Furthermore, are laboratories confident in their results for chlorophyll a and do data users understand the uncertainty associated with the results? All of these questions should be considered before implementing regulatory decisions such as a TMDL that could dramatically impact limits for dischargers.</font></p>
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<p><strong><font face="Helvetica">References</font></strong></p>
<p class="quotedText"><font face="Helvetica">Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FLDEP). 2011. Applicability of Chlorophyll <em>a</em> Methods. DEP-SAS-002/10. October 24, 2011.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">Kirk, T.O., 1994. Light &amp; Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems, Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 509 pages.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica"><font>North American Lake Management Society (NALMS). 2017. Chlorophyll Analysis. The Secchi Dip-In. From:</font></font> <a href="http://www.secchidipin.org/index.php/monitoring-methods/chlorophyll-analysis/"><font color="#0066CC" face="Helvetica">http://www.secchidipin.org/index.php/monitoring-methods/chlorophyll-analysis/</font></a> <font face="Helvetica"><font>accessed 5/1/17.</font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica">Taylor, E., Guilmette, C., Rhodes, E. 2015. Chlorophyll-A Round Robin. City of Northglenn Water Quality Laboratory.</font></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><font face="Helvetica"><strong><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font color="#0000FF">Natalie Love<font>&nbsp;is the Laboratory Director for GEI Consultants, Inc's&nbsp;Laboratory. GEI conducts Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing, benthic macroinvertebrate identifications, and low level nutrient analysis for Regulation 85 and other local monitoring.</font></font></font></strong></font>&nbsp;http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040318
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040318Tyler EldridgeMon, 21 Aug 2017 18:09:39 GMTApril of 2017- Interpreting Discrepancies between Analysis Methods, Machines, and More.<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Interpreting Discrepancies between Analysis Methods, Machines, and More.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As advancements in Water and Wastewater Treatment technologies continue to emerge and regulations provide municipalities with more hurdles in meeting increasingly stringent standards, we also see potential for misinterpreting data and how it affects these complex treatment processes. This idea has not escaped us at our Water Pollution Control Facility in Greeley.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One particular instance arises in the analysis of measuring Volatile Acids. For the last few years our lab has relied on a single method of measuring Volatile Acids, as well as using certain equipment for measuring these results. This method has been a valuable indicator when it comes to determining the health of our anaerobic digester systems, especially in the winter when we experience the most complications in the treatment process.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recently, with the addition of new treatment processes and new employees that see value in other methods, we have begun to examine alternatives to our original procedure. These alternatives include, but are not limited to using a different method as well as using a different instrument to analyze the data. Our findings were a bit unsettling and confusing.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Although we have only recently begun this study and it is still in progress, we do tend to see relatively significant differences. Now, there is a need to acknowledge that it is no world-changing finding to say that different methods and different instruments can provide different results on duplicate samples. However, the point is that there are certain parameters that exhibit greater discrepancies in results, and these can be difficult to interpret and put to use for operators and analysts alike.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our initial investigation into this process began when we found an alternative method from the same company that provides our reagents for the original method. This new method appealed to us in that it was a simpler, less time consuming process. However, the spectrophotometer (spec) used to analyze the results was different than the spec used in our original method. Fortunately, the instrument used in the new method could be equipped with an adapter to analyze our original method, so we had the ability to analyze both methods on the same spec.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Here’s where our troubles surfaced: we didn’t know which results to take as our final number when it came to adjusting the operation of different processes in the plant. We had been using the same method for so long and using it as our proverbial ‘canary in the coal-mine,’ that when it came to new methodologies we had no baseline or warning limits to go by. Granted, if our results were close enough between methods and could be considered ‘apples-to-apples’ we wouldn’t need to worry about this. Yet Murphy’s Law had something different to say about this, and we began to see results of the new method on the new spec at 20% and sometimes even 50% higher than the original method on the old spec. Furthermore, this nascent study has shown that the new method produces more accurate results with our stock standard when compared to the old. So, where does this leave us?</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It seems that logic would dictate that when it comes to making significant changes in operating procedures we should make our adjustments based on the original method with the support of historical trends to back the decision. This has been our stance as we fight through worrying conditions in a push to stabilize the system before a more predictable and manageable period during the spring and summer.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fortunately, we will be entering a transition period with the construction and installation of a new primary digester. With this new change and somewhat of a blank slate to work with, we feel justified in converting over to the newer method with its perceivably more accurate results. Suffice it to say, we will continue to run the original method in conjunction with the new method to further establish some semblance of trends to compare.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In closing, there is a desire to point out that this is but one small case study on a topic that any and all plants can be subjected to when put under certain stresses. Whether it be new analysts coming in to a lab, new equipment or methods being instituted by necessity or preference, or even changes to method rules as seen in March’s MDL writing, variability in a lab and its methods can lead to considerable impacts on a treatment plant’s performance and the decisions made in that right.</font></p>
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<p><strong><font color="#004B80" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Zach Dahlgren is a Water Quality Analyst at the Water Pollution Control Facility in Greeley. He has been with the City of Greeley going on 4 years and with the RMWQAA as Website Chair for over 3 years.</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040317
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040317Tyler EldridgeMon, 21 Aug 2017 18:07:27 GMTMarch of 2017 - Discussion and Update to the determination of the Methiod Detection Limit (MDL)<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>On December 15, 2016 Gina McCarthy (then United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator) signed the final rule which included an update to 40 CFR 136 Appendix B, the determination of the method detection limit (MDL). While the rule has been signed, it is awaiting publication to the Federal Register and is therefore not officially been released for use. The current MDL procedure has been in place in 40 CFR 136 Appendix B since 1984 with little-to-no changes since.&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>Why does the MDL method need to change? The biggest concerns around the current MDL measurement procedure is that it does not address contamination in blank samples, inadvertently driving MDLs lower than they realistically should be. Additionally, the current method does not address variability within a lab, again driving the MDLs down.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>By definition, the MDL is “the minimum measured concentration of a substance that can be reported with 99% confidence that the measured concentration is distinguishable from method blank results.” In the current method for determining MDLs, seven spiked samples are analyzed and the MDL is calculated by multiplying the appropriate student’s T value by the standard deviation of these spiked samples.&nbsp; No guidelines are provided on the frequency of MDL calculation or timeframe within which these data should be collected for calculation; therefore, variability in analytical measurements by different analysts and variability over time are not taken into account. This procedure may result in MDLs that are higher or lower than they would be if variability were taken into account.&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>The update attempts to control some of this variability by determining MDLs from a minimum of seven spiked samples which were measured in at least three batches on three separate calendar dates. The MDL of the spiked samples is calculated using the same equation as the current method. To ensure the MDL is distinguishable from the method blanks, the new method requires a blank MDL be calculated by multiplying the appropriate student’s T value by the standard deviation of the blank samples, then adding the mean of the method blank results. The higher of the spiked MDL and blank MDL becomes the new MDL for the method. The MDL is verified annually by analyzing at least two samples quarterly.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>Overall, these changes are a significant improvement over the current procedure; however<strong><span style='font-family: "Georgia",serif;'>,</span></strong> there are still some concerns with the new procedure. As analytical methods improve and impacts to aquatic life become more and more quantifiable, the water quality criteria continue to decrease along with the associated permit limits required to protect aquatic life. The new MDL calculation procedure is a significant improvement over the previous procedure, but by better accounting for low-level contamination through the use of blank MDLs, the MDL is likely to be driven up.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>Higher MDLs can lead to a permitting conundrum. The reporting limit (RL) and associated permit limit must increase with the MDL which would leave it unclear whether aquatic life are being protected. Otherwise, the RL and permit limit would be adjusted down to align with the standard. By decreasing the difference between the MDL and RL, the confidence that the data are truly detected also decreases. Neither regulatory scenario is ideal as it becomes unclear whether aquatic life is truly protected, or whether the quantifiable data are truly quantifiable.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>The work required to reduce potential contamination that may lead to higher MDLs may be too much for smaller labs to handle, resulting in the need to outsource samples to other labs with better capacity to reduce low-level contamination. By not conducting tests in-house, dischargers could be faced with increased costs.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>The option to maintain the previous MDL as long as it is within 3 times the previous MDL reduces the legitimacy of the new method as it allows for MDLs to increase or decrease based on a decision rather than the data.</span></p>
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<p><span style='color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt;'>Is <em><span style='font-family: "Georgia",serif;'>your</span></em> lab ready for the new MDL procedure??</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><strong><span style='color: rgb(19, 75, 123); line-height: 107%; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 9pt;'>Melissa Mimna is&nbsp;the Water Quality Analyst&nbsp;in the City of Boulder's Water Quality and Environmental Services Group. Natalie Love&nbsp;is the Laboratory Director for GEI Consultants, Inc's&nbsp;Laboratory. GEI conducts Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing, benthic macroinvertebrate identifications, and low level nutrient analysis for Regulation 85 and other local monitoring. This excerpt was taken from a poster presented at the Society for Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology national conference in 2015.</span></strong></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040316
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5040316Tyler EldridgeWed, 16 Aug 2017 18:48:18 GMTFebruary of 2017<p><strong><font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">February 16, 2017</font></strong></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">On January 26, 2017, RMWQAA hosted a free tour of the Leprino Foods Wastewater Treatment Plant. Leprino Foods Company began operations in Greeley, Colorado in 2011, bringing much needed jobs and economic benefits to Weld County. Over 430 people are employed at the factory, which helps make Leprino Foods the largest producer of mozzarella cheese in the world. The entire production supply chain is localized with over 100 semi-truck loads of milk offloaded into the factory each day.</font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">The raw milk that is delivered to the plant is made up of almost 87% water. Much of this water in the milk is removed during evaporation and then condensed into condensate of whey (COW) water. By capturing this COW water, the plant can rely less on municipal water sources and return around 300,000 gallons more water than it takes in on a daily basis back into the Cache la Poudre River.</font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">During the tour, we witnessed some of the by-products of the wastewater treatment process. Dried biosolids were pressed into a cake-like consistency and loaded slowly into large dump trucks which were transported to local farmers to be used as a soil amendment. Construction on a new digester was underway to allow the plant to utilize methane gas to provide energy to the plant.</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">The tour was a great chance to see different aspects of the wastewater treatment process, including the testing laboratory, and to get a look inside a large and important contributor to our local economy.</font></font><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><strong><font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif">Danny McCausland attended the tour and is the Water Quality Supervisor for GEI's Laboratory. GEI conducts Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing, benthic macroinvertebrate identifications, and low level nutrient analysis for Regulation 85 and other local monitoring.</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5032760
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5032760Tyler EldridgeTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:42:36 GMTJanuary of 2017 - December Holiday Social Recap<table width="100%" style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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<p><strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">January 26, 2017</font></strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p align="center"><font style="font-size: 30px;"><strong><font color="#0000FF" face="Tahoma,sans-serif" style="font-size: 36px;">December Holiday Social Recap</font></strong></font></p>
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<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;<a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="534" height="401" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-4.jpg" border="0"></a></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">On December 1, the Lab Practices Committee of the RMWEA and the Rocky Mountain Water Quality Analyst Association joined forces to host a holiday social event for their <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="129" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-1.jpg" border="0"></a>members.&nbsp; The event was held at the Lazy Dog in Westminster and there was a fantastic turnout, with about 40 water quality enthusiasts from local laboratories joining in the fun.&nbsp; There were a number of games to keep everyone entertained, including Water Quality Family Feud, Guess the number of stoppers, and Close-up Lab Pic Trivia.&nbsp; It was a good chance for networking, sharing lab stories, discussing future lab issues, and returning borrowed reagents.&nbsp; RMWQAA holds social events every July and December and they are a great way to collaborate with peers… don’t miss the next one!</font></p>
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<p align="center"><a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-2.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a title="" href="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="267" height="200" alt="" src="http://www.rmwqaa.org/resources/Pictures/2015%20Symposium%20stuff/December%202016%20Social/Dec%2016'%20Social-3.jpg" border="0"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031343
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031343Tyler EldridgeTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:38:16 GMTDecember of 2016 - RMWQAA Regulatory Workshop<table width="100%" style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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<p><strong><font color="#00A651" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">December 3, 2016</font></strong><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;"><br>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS">In early November, the RMWQAA education subcommittee hosted a workshop to provide analysts a more solid background on the Drinking Water and Wastewater Regulations that drive their daily work. The workshop was led by Hope Dalton who holds a strong background in regulations, education, and laboratory. Ms. Dalton discussed the history of federal regulations as well as the Colorado-specific regulations and how they are implemented. Natalie Love provided information on the Clean Water Act and Colorado wastewater regulations. There was a strong turnout from across the Front Range as well as attendees from as far away as Eagle County.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS">The regulatory workshop played a secondary role in piloting a new look for RMWQAA presentations. The goal is to provide more consistency in the training delivered by the organization. The education subcommittee is working towards providing future trainings via the internet so we can reach members in less accessible areas and those who cannot travel often. Stay tuned for future trainings.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031334
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031334Tyler EldridgeTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:37:00 GMTNovember of 2016 - The Importance of In-Line Instrumentation<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><font color="#0C93CA" face="Tahoma,sans-serif" style="font-size: 12px;">November 15, 2016</font></strong></p>
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<p align="center"><strong><font color="#010C0E" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">The Importance of In-Line Instrumentation</font></strong><strong><font color="#010C0E" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">&nbsp;</font></strong></p>
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<p><font color="#010C0E" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Approximately six years ago Metro Wastewater Reclamation District determined that it was imperative that we had a dedicated group of individuals to manage all of the in-line instruments that were engineered into several of our plant upgrade projects, especially in the secondary treatment portion of the plant.&nbsp; A majority of the instrumentation is used for determining the effectiveness of biological nutrient removal, including nitrification/denitrification, and phosphorous uptake.&nbsp; The reliability and accuracy of in-line instruments, at that time, had risen to a point that they provided our Treatment staff a comfort level in making real time process control decisions based on the information received from the instruments.&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font color="#010C0E" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">In-Line instruments were more traditionally only used for dissolved oxygen, pH, and total suspended solids.&nbsp; Now we are seeing tremendous success measuring parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate/nitrite, orthophosphate, and chlorine, with some instruments able to measure multiple parameters in sequence.&nbsp; We&nbsp;have also had some success with in-line instruments that measure&nbsp;total organic carbon&nbsp;reliably.&nbsp; The&nbsp;ammonia instruments are also tied into a control logics system for aeration to improve nitrification/denitrification efficiencies, while reducing the costs of aeration.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#010C0E" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Although most In-Line instruments tend to be less costly than their bench top, more robust, counter parts, an in-line budget is not for the “faint of heart” when you include the original price of the instrument, replacement parts, and a dedicated staff to maintain them.&nbsp; Our In-Line group is “housed” in the Analytical Services Division based on our expertise with analytical instrumentation, but is supported by many other divisions at the facility, as all instruments are tied into our control systems.&nbsp; The In-Line Instrumentation Support group has grown to five Specialists covering our North, South, and&nbsp;Northern Treatment&nbsp;plants.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#0C93CA" face="Tahoma,sans-serif" style="font-size: 12px;">Kevin Feeley, B.S. Biology, M.B.A, is the Chief of Analytical Services and has been&nbsp;employed with Metro Wastewater Reclamation District for 27 years.&nbsp;Mr. Feeley&nbsp;is the&nbsp;former Chair of the RMWEA Lab Practices Committee, a RMWQAA board participant, and on the&nbsp;Red Rocks Water Quality Program Advisory Board.&nbsp;Outside of the water and wastewater world,&nbsp;Kevin holds a&nbsp;2<sup>nd</sup> degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is the owner of 25,000+ Hot Wheels cars.</font></p>
<p></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031318
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031318Tyler EldridgeTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:34:13 GMTSeptember of 2016 - Lead and Copper Year<p><strong><font color="#3BB878" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 12px;">September 8, 2016</font></strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS">Lead and Copper Year</font></strong></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">In 2016 the summer Olympics were held in Rio. On the Chinese calendar, 2016 is the year of the monkey. In the United States, 2016 is a presidential election year. Here in Aurora, it is the year of lead and copper.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Here in the drinking water world some of our regulations are different than in the waste water world. We are required to monitor the distribution system for lead and copper levels in the water. The frequency of this monitoring varies with each utility based on the monitoring plan established by the governing body, in our case the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">The sampling is regulated by the lead and copper rule. A common source of lead and copper is the pipes in the home. Some older homes have lead service lines or copper pipes with lead solder. Water being a great dissolver, can leach these metals from pipes. A number of water quality parameters can be controlled to prevent leaching of metals from the pipes into the water.&nbsp; One tool that can be used is the Langolier Index. Based on a formula, this number takes into consideration water quality factors, such as pH, alkalinity, and hardness to determine the likelihood of the water corroding the pipes and leaching metals into the water.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">This year Aurora Water is conducting a lead and copper study. After what happened in Michigan, this is a hot topic, and water customers are significantly more aware of the quality of their water. This awareness motivates more customers to participate in the study.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">In previous years it was a challenge to obtain the 50 samples without repeated customer contacts. This year is different, the response has been great.&nbsp; In our third week, we had almost received all of the required samples.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">The study involves a few steps:</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Notify customers – We send a letter notifying the customers on the pool list that we are conducting a lead and copper study and request their participation.&nbsp; The majority of the samples are collected in July but we are flexible with the customers as long as the collection is within our study window.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Deliver bottles and instructions – This is time consuming and labor intensive.&nbsp; A bottle is delivered to each home and placed in a secure but visible place.&nbsp; The instructions for filling the bottle are included on a chain of custody form that the sampler must sign and write in the date and time the sample was taken.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Sampling – We are required to maintain a pool of at least 100 homes and we have to receive a minimum of 50 samples back for analysis. The sample has to be a first draw sample, after the water has been sitting in the pipes for at least 6 hours. This is the reason the customers take their own samples. This year many of our regular participants have moved so we have reached out to the new customers to make sure they understand the process so that the samples are taken correctly.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Collect bottles – Once the sample is collected the customer will call and let us know. We will have any employees in the area pick-up the sample and bring it back to the lab.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Analyze samples – The samples will be analyzed for turbidity, lead, and copper. The turbidity is taken when the sample is received in the lab. If the turbidity is greater than 1 the sample has to be digested prior to analysis. The sample is preserved with nitric acid and held at room temperature until it is analyzed.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Notify customers of results – Once the results are peer reviewed and QC checked the customers are notified of the results from the water tested from their at their home.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Symbol" style="font-size: 13px;">·<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Report results to the state – Once all of the sample are analyzed the results are compiled and reported to the state health department</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">The action level for lead is 0.015 mg/L and copper is 1.3 mg/L. Results at this level are not an automatic violation. The results are ranked in order from smallest to largest. If the 90<sup>th</sup> percentile is above the action level that is referred to as an action level exceedance. Exceedances will result in increased monitoring frequencies. Corrosion studies may also be mandated.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Comic Sans MS" style="font-size: 13px;">Customers will be anticipating the results of the analysis of the water in their homes. As our study concludes&nbsp;this month,&nbsp;we are hopeful that 2016 will not turn into the year of routine monitoring for lead and copper.</font></p>
<p><font color="#3BB878" face="Comic Sans MS">Adele Rucker is the metals analyst for Aurora's Water Quality Control Laboratory.</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031299
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031299Tyler EldridgeTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:32:10 GMTAugust of 2016 - Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Purchasing Process<h3 align="left"><font color="#0C93CA" style="font-size: 11px;">August 22, 2016</font></h3>
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<p align="center"><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Purchasing Process</strong></font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Purchasing a laboratory information management system can be a daunting and overwhelming task. You start asking yourself these questions:</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Where do I start?</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">What do I really need?</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">How much will it cost?</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Who will help set it up?</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">What features do I need/want?</font></p>
<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 6.<font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 9px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Will it really be everything that I want it to be?</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">Don’t let these questions scare you away from the purchase. Our laboratory purchased our first LIMS in 2001. Prior to that, we entered all of our data in excel spreadsheets. Excel spreadsheets work great until your boss starts coming to you with requests for data from 5 years ago and they want the monthly averages, maximums, and minimums. Or they want to compare the total suspended solids from January 2010 to January 2016. You can retrieve that data from excel spreadsheets but it may take hours or days to locate and calculate the data.</font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">A LIMS is a powerful data storage warehouse that can hold years of data. The data is readily available with just a few keystrokes on the computer. In 2001, our laboratory was in need of a better system, so we purchased our first LIMS.&nbsp;It worked great for many years, but in 2014, we decided that we needed a more powerful system that both our environmental and wastewater laboratories could purchase and use together.&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">In 2014, we started researching LIMS vendors and set-up several web demos.&nbsp;We wanted a system that would work for both labs as well as fitting our individual needs.&nbsp;For example, our wastewater laboratory needed a system that would be able to interface with our operations and industrial pretreatment databases, and the environmental lab needed an application that was capable of entering data in the field. We all met as a group and mapped out the current LIMS flow and how we wanted the future LIMS to flow through each step from sample log-in to reporting. This identified areas that we wanted to streamline throughout the process.</font></p>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">During this time, we brought our IT department into the discussion since they would play a major part in installing and maintaining the system. They assisted with the request for proposal and were involved every step of the way.&nbsp;Below is a detailed timeline for this project:</font></p>
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<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">April 2015- Request for proposal was issued</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">May 12, 2015- Pre-proposal conference with vendors to discuss specifications</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">May 19, 2015- Questions from vendors were due</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">June 9, 2015- Request for proposals were due</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">July 7, 2015- Demonstrations from vendors (on-line)</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">July-October 2015- Worked with IT and City Attorney to draft contract and completed the Council memo. &nbsp;</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">September 2015- Created a LIMS administration team which consisted of employees from the wastewater lab, environmental lab, and IT;&nbsp;the team met bi-weekly throughout the process</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">October 27, 2015- Council approved the purchase of the new LIMS</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">November 10, 2015- Kickoff meeting with new LIMS vendor,&nbsp;LIMS administrator, IT, purchasing and&nbsp;implementation team</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">November 15, 2015- Conference call with the vendor’s project manager and the City’s LIMS administrator to discuss the project schedule and items that we needed to submit to the vendor such as:&nbsp;new client checklists, static data tables, and&nbsp;instrument interfaces</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">December 2015- Static data tables were uploaded to the vendor’s ftp site</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">January 2016- New LIMS was installed on the administrator’s computer;&nbsp;initiated</font> <font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">bi-weekly conference calls&nbsp;with LIMS administrator and vendor</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">February 2-4, 2016- First on-site training and system set-up</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">March 8-10, 2016- Second on-site visit and training with the vendor;&nbsp;training on sample entry, quality control, label printing, calculations, and initial set-up&nbsp;of instrument interfaces</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">April 5-8, 2016- Third on-site training which was customized for each lab;&nbsp;additional work on software and instrument interfaces, label printing, calculations, and mobile devices</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">April-June 2016- Staff parallel tested the new system with the old system; started using the barcode scanners, auto-logging samples, and working with the instrument and software interfaces</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">June 29, 2016- Vendor&nbsp;removed practice data in the new LIMS</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">July 1, 2016- Stopped logging in samples in the old system and started entering samples in the new system</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">August 2016- IT uploaded old databases to the vendor’s ftp site and 10 years of data will be archived</font></li>
<li><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">September 2016- Four analysts will travel to the vendor’s headquarters for&nbsp;four days of on-site training</font></li>
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<p><font color="#000000" face="Arial,sans-serif">There is still work to be done, but we are enjoying all the new features that our LIMS has to offer.&nbsp;When you think of taking the plunge, just remember that it can be a long journey but a journey well worth taking.</font>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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<p><font color="#0000FF">Lesa Julian&nbsp;is the&nbsp;Wastewater Laboratory Supervisor&nbsp;for&nbsp;the City and County of Broomfield.</font></p>http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031298
http://www.rmwqaa.org/page-1003399/5031298Tyler Eldridge